SAMPLE DEVELOPMENT OF A SHARED BOOK
IN THE MONTESSORI CLASSROOM
Materials needed:
- Big book edition (if available)
- Book easel to hold big book (optional)
- Blank index cards
- Post it notes
- Mystery bag
- Shelf edition
- Extensions
1. Introduction
- Read title, author/illustrator
- Predictions - look at cover, front and back
- What is the story about? “This is an interesting cover, isn’t it? I wonder why it shows . . . “
- What can you learn from the pictures? Note eyes of mice. Tap prior knowledge about blindness.
* Note - a picture walk through the book is usually part of the introduction; however, the element of discovery associated with this book would be lost before the first read if a picture walk were interjected here.
2. First read - teacher reads through the book without stopping, allowing the children to experience the whole story. Generate thought and discussion with a comment: “I was really surprised when . . . is that what you expected?” Model how readers think rather than eliciting an “answer.” Turn back the pages to compare images; e.g. fan - elephant ear.
“You (teacher) have a dual role of working for the author, reading with as much enthusiasm
and sincerely as if presenting your own writing, and for the children, making reading so
comfortable and inviting that the children feel drawn into the reading. Your aim during the
first reading is to help the children think like an author and act like a reader. “
Margaret Mooney Shared reading: Making it work for you and your children.
Early Years, Nov. 1994 - Author of numerous books on education, Margaret
Mooney received the Order of New Zealand Merit for her work in literacy in 1988.
3. Second read (immediately following or on a subsequent day)
Children may begin to naturally chime in while the teacher reads. A slight
pause, rise in intonation, nod or beckoning hand can signal an invitation for the
children to chime in with a word or phrase. It is important for the children to
realize that all efforts and approximations are accepted.
At the end of the read, start working on comprehension
- Confirm predictions.
- Retell story asking “What did Red mouse find by the pond on
Monday?” etc. Refer to book.
- Using 7 index cards, write the answer to your question on each card as
the story is retold.
- Using 7 index cards, write a day of the week on each card as story is
retold. These cards will be used for another read.
4. Future reads - focus on specifics (Note: Number of repeat readings and
specifics covered should be pertinent to your students - no need to do it all!)
- Days of the week - sing a song/ use cards made in Step 3 to
sequence/ make a matching set, hand out a card to each child and
play “Find your match.”
- Ordinals - (first - seventh) Write on blank index cards as you
reread/sequence /play “Find your match”/ other possibilities?
- Colors - sing a song/ write on index cards as above/ color wheel
activities/ use extensions as group presentation or game.
Three-part card extensions
Seven children randomly pick a mouse picture card.
Seven other children randomly pick a color label card.
Play “Find your match” Matches can be made and
checked against displayed picture/label cards and/or
read by both children to the group.
Play again!
- Cloze (fill-in-the blank) activities - cover words with post-it notes and
re-read to the group asking for the missing words. Missing words
covered can be: days of the week; ordinals; colors.
- Mystery Bag - to explore kinesthetic sense. Use 5 or 6 familiar objects
and 1 less familiar. Present with a re-read emphasizing comparison of
images; e.g. fan - elephant ear.
- Echo read (children repeat teacher’s words) or Choral read (everyone
together)
- Reconstruct the story with the children using index cards made in
Steps 3 and 4. For example, ask “What happens first?” Refer to
book. Card sequence will look like this:
Monday Red Mouse first pillar
5. Place a smaller version of book on the shelf with extensions adjacent for
self-exploration and independent work. (This can be done after First Read)
Children as Authors and Illustrators - Children can also contribute to a class “Big book” on a topic of interest to the group, to support an area of the
curriculum, or to create an original version of an old favorite. With the
teacher’s guidance, the children compose text and contribute illustrations
making their own book to be used for Shared Reading.
