Reading Routines I Teach Early (So We Can Read Better All Year)
Part of the Strong Starts series. View the hub.
At the start of a new year, you get a rare opportunity: you can build the habits you actually want in your classroom before the default settings kick in.
Reading is one of those areas where you can fix things later, but it is so much easier if you set it up properly from the beginning. The early weeks are when students learn what reading looks like in this room.
So I explicitly teach a few different reading routines early on. I give them names (the names do not matter), and I keep them consistent so that when I say it, students instantly know what is happening and what their job is.
I also like having multiple routines because:
- Different texts need different approaches
- Variety keeps things interesting without me needing a new trick every day
Here are the main ones.
The belief underneath all of it: you learn to read by reading
I tell my students a version of this all the time. You do not learn to ride a bike by watching someone ride a bike. You have to get on and ride.
Reading is the same. If you want to learn how to read, you have to read. Not just listen. Not just follow along while someone else does the work. Reading is a skill you build by doing.
That is why I am big on practice routines that get every student involved, even when they are not the one reading out loud.
“Eyes on print” (the phrase I use constantly)
“Eyes on print.”
I want students looking at the text and actively reading, not just listening. Listening matters, but spoken language and written language are different skills. If students only listen, they are practising a different thing.
So whether we are reading as a class, in partners, or I am modelling something from the front, the expectation is the same: eyes on print.
1) Choral reading (slow, but brilliant for guiding)
Choral reading is where we all read the same text at the same time, at the same speed.
It is not fast. It is not flashy. But it is one of the best ways to practise:
- Phrasing
- Pace
- Expression
- Confidence, especially for students who need support
It also stops reading turning into a speed competition.
The biggest issue at first is that some students rush ahead, because they think fast reading equals good reading. So I am explicit: “This is not a race. The goal is to read together.”
I will stop and restart if we lose sync, and I will model the pace I want. Once it clicks, it is powerful. It feels like the whole class becomes one reader.
2) Popcorn reading (modelling + accountability)
Popcorn reading is more dynamic.
I start by reading first, because modelling matters. I want students to hear what fluent reading sounds like: natural pace, phrasing, expression that makes sense.
Then I call a student’s name and they pick up where I left off.
A few things make this routine work:
I match the chunk to the student
I adjust constantly: a sentence for one student, a shorter phrase for another, a bigger chunk for someone who can handle it. The goal is fluency and confidence, not setting kids up to crash.
We practise reading out loud properly
Early on, we do small practice moments where students say a short phrase loudly and with expression. It sounds basic, but a lot of kids are not used to projecting their voice or reading in front of others. This helps normalise it.
Everyone tracks the text
This is the non negotiable. If students are not following with their eyes, popcorn reading becomes a performance for one kid while everyone else drifts.
So I keep the calling random. If it is predictable, kids stop tracking because they have decided they are not next. If it is random, they learn quickly that they have to keep up.
After a while, the class starts self correcting. They realise that if they are not following, they will slow the whole thing down when their name is called.
3) Partner reading (because both roles matter)
Partnered reading is where I am training two roles: the reader and the listener.
We might do it:
- Page for page
- Sentence for sentence
- For a timed amount
- Or for a set chunk
The structure can change, but the key idea stays the same: both students have a job, and both jobs are active.
The reader’s responsibility: be engaging
Not dramatic, but clear and purposeful. You are reading to someone, not just reading at the page.
The listener’s responsibility: be engaged
The listener is not waiting their turn. They are tracking the text, showing they are listening, and staying ready to support if the reader gets stuck.
This is something I teach explicitly, because otherwise listening turns into daydreaming with occasional eye contact.
Pairing matters
I choose the pairs ahead of time. Similar ability is usually a good starting point, but I often like one student being slightly stronger. Strong enough to support, not so far ahead that it turns into tutoring.
We practise helping without commentary
If you do not teach this, corrections get weird quickly. So we practise a simple rule. If your partner does not know a word, you can say the word and that is it.
No judgement. No “you should know that”. No smirking. Just help the reading continue.
Sometimes we also use neutral prompts like:
- Try that again.
- Look at the start of the word.
- Does that make sense?
But the tone is the important part: helpful, not superior.
A quick note about fingers
Following along with a finger can help some students, especially early on, but it can also slow them down and make reading feel clunky.
So instead, I often get students to put their finger where they will start, then read normally. It gives them a starting anchor, and it gives me a quick visual check. I can scan the room and instantly see who is on the right line and who has checked out.
Why I teach these early
This is all prep work. It takes time. You stop and restart. You practise the routines slowly at first.
But it pays off for the whole year. Because once students know what good reading looks like in your room, you spend less time managing behaviour and more time doing the actual work: reading texts that matter, thinking about them properly, and helping students grow as readers.
And that is the point.