Throughout the preparation for and reading of the selection, there are certain techniques and devices that can be integrated to help you and your students transition smoothly from one activity to the next.

Classroom setup

For Big Book reading, have your students sit on the floor in front of you and the book. This arrangement ensures that all your students can see and follow along as you read the book. It also creates a relaxed atmosphere. Students know that they can ask questions and interact comfortably.

Rules of conduct

Your students should know what behavior is considered appropriate for a reading session and discussion. Your students should:

• focus attention on the book and on you.
• raise their hands when they want to respond to a question.
• wait to be called on before answering.
• listen carefully to the comments of their classmates.

Routines

Children thrive on routine. Therefore, establishing a set of predictable procedures for instruction is the primary way to engage students. For example, the predictable routine for introducing and reading a Big Book selection allows children to focus their attention on what is most important—getting meaning from what is being read.

During the pre-reading, reading, and discussion of the selection, you can use the procedures suggested in Open Court Reading and SRA Imagine It! Because the activities involved with reading the selection are carried out the same way each time, your students will waste little time trying to figure out how they should respond. Their attention can be given to their new learning. The procedures include the following:

• Before reading a selection, the teacher uses prompts to activate students’ prior knowledge and build background. Students also browse a selection and focus attention on key vocabulary words that they need to know to understand what is read. Students are engaged in thinking about the selection before it is read.
• During reading, the teacher models strategies and skills. Students know they should ask questions during reading about any words or phrases that need clarification.
• After reading, the students review selection vocabulary and discuss what new words, phrases, and ideas they have learned and make connections to earlier readings.