What is a Listening to Reading Literacy Center? How can they fit into my classroom? Do they meet all my student’s needs? How can I make it fit into my reading instruction? What do I do to engage students while still managing small group and individual instruction?Â
If you have been asking yourself any of these questions, keep reading! Listening to Reading Literacy Centers will help students in their reading by focusing on reading fluency, expression, and more. Let’s look at some Listening to Reading Literacy Center ideas.
1. Explanation of Listening to Reading Centers
Listen to Reading can take many different forms. This can include online audiobooks and Web-based solutions. However, a big factor is what listening equipment is available to you.
For emerging readers, time spent listening to fluent reading models is invaluable. Students build their reading pronunciation and expression. Struggling readers also find this center beneficial. It allows them to access texts that meet their listening comprehension level, even if it exceeds their reading level.
2. Strategies for a Successful Reading Center
Here are some important strategies or tips to ensure a successful Listening to Reading.
- Smooth Technology Rollout: If you are among the lucky few with a set of the state-of-art devices for your class adding this center will be very straightforward. However, if you are like most and hope that your computers will work today then you may want to look at other options so students can have this center as a daily option.
- Student Technology Skills: Make sure your students know how to log in quickly and treat the equipment appropriately.
- Student Tech Advisors: Appoint students to help with technology issues so you are not pulled away from working with other students.
- Determine Appropriate Activities: Keep the Listening to Reading center engaging by providing students with a wide variety of books to enjoy.
- Response Sheets: This could be a quite simple sheet that has students write down the title, what the book was about & a book rating. It also could be an extremely specific response sheet for a particular book the student is reading.
3. Setting Expectations for Listening to Reading
Again, a reminder, with anything new that you provide for your student’s expectations and guidelines must be discussed and modeled. This includes the following:Â
- Set Purpose: To become better readers; To learn and understand new words and stories; It is fun!
- Material Setup: Model for students on where and how Listening to Reading materials are to be found and used.
- Student Behavior: Discuss and brainstorm Listening to Reading behaviors. These could include: Listen to the whole story; Follow along with pictures and/or words; Listen quietly; Get started right away.
- Material Clean-Up: Model for students where and how reading materials are put away.
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Take a look at this Listening to Reading Launching Chart, it may help you in implementing this center into your classroom.
4. Materials for Reading Center
It is essential for students to have quality reading materials for the center Listening to Reading to work. Learners need to find reading materials that are the right fit for them. This can become problematic in some classrooms which may not have the access to the quality and quantity of technology needed for this to be successful. Here are some suggestions that may help if this a problem you may be having.
- Scholastic Books With CD
- Ipods
- Ipads
- QR Codes for Books
- MP3 Players
- Online Computer Sites: Starfall; Storyline; Story Jumper; Counting Library
- Reading Apps: Booksy; Amazon Audible; Epic; Hoopla
In summary, a Listening to Reading Literacy Center provides a meaningful time for developing readers to increase their reading vocabulary and fluency. It is important to model for students what Listening to Reading sounds and looks like.Â
It is also important that model and set guidelines for students! This is one center that can students love. However, it is important to set up those student expectations.  Your students will love the Listening to Reading Literacy Center.
Find some more reading activities and assessments in my store, The Teaching Scene by Maureen.
To read more topics check out my blog, “Seven Effective First Grade Assessment Tools”
