Modelled Reading

The teacher purposefully plans, models, and explicitly demonstrates the important cognitive strategies for comprehending and responding.

During a modelled read, the teacher may ‘think aloud’ to demonstrate the use of reading comprehension processes or word identification strategies. Selected texts can be brief, sharing as little as a sentence or a single paragraph, and can be revisited for multiple purposes.

Choosing Texts
The teacher looks for passages that:
• represent many viewpoints that reflect the perspectives, cultures, and ways of knowing of First Nations, Métis, and other cultures;
• include strong examples of cues and conventions or comprehension strategies to be highlighted; and
• reflect formative assessment data and incorporate curricular expectations across disciplines.

Purpose
Modelled reading serves a variety of purposes, including:
• expanding content knowledge;
• promoting oral language and vocabulary development;
• modelling fluency;
• modelling before, during, and after strategies for comprehension (see Appendix A);
• developing motivation and appreciation for reading;
• modelling effective reading behaviours;
• introducing different genres, text structures and writing styles; and
• demonstrating reading for a purpose.

Assessment
• Formative assessment of a student’s application of the skills and strategies explicitly demonstrated in a modelled read can be assessed through teacher observations, conversations with students, and student products.