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DUET READING
Miss Berndl's Fabulous Fours &
Fantabulous Fives
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DEFINITION
 | Duet reading is an activity where a skilled reader sits
next to a learner & the two read a text simultaneously. |
| Also called Neurological Impress Method based on the work of R.G.
Heckelman, Ph.D.
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PURPOSE
| To increase the student's fluency of reading and
vocabulary by reading aloud with the tutor. |
| To help the student read faster, with more confidence,
and to begin to discover
that reading is fun. |
TO BE USED WITH
| Students who have some reading
ability but who are reading hesitantly, word for word, or with no expression. |
| A tutor (fluent reader) and a student read together from
one text. |
IT WORKS!
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A California study showed an average gain of 2.2 grade
levels among students with severe reading handicaps who had received 7 ˝ hours
of instruction in this method over a 6 week period. The method has also been
used with students who have a stuttering problem. |
DESCRIPTION OF METHOD
- Choose something that’s a little “too hard” for the
student
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Help the student select something to read that is about
2-3 grade levels above the student's reading ability. |
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The material should be on a topic of interest to the
student. |
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The material may be a book, a magazine or newspaper
article, a pamphlet or a brochure. |
- Begin reading together
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The tutor and student begin to read the book aloud
together. The tutor reads at a normal speed, trying to use expression and
following punctuation. The student reads along, trying to keep up with the
tutor. |
- Use your finger!
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The tutor must move his/her finger beneath the
lines being read. This helps the student keep up, and acquire practice in
reading from left to right, and in bringing his eye back to the beginning of
each new line without losing his place. |
- Keep going
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The tutor should continue to read at a normal rate even
if the student hesitates over a word or falls slightly behind. After a few
sessions using this method, it will become easier for the student to keep up.
It will be a challenge, and he will begin to look ahead at coming words to
keep from falling behind. |
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If the student stops completely, the tutor should
also stop, give both a chance to rest, offer the student encouragement and begin
again. Try spending at least ten minutes
at the end of each tutoring session using this method. |
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No
questions
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Do not stop to explain the meaning of a word
unless the student requests it. Do
not ask any questions to see if the student understood the story.
The material is to be used ONLY as an oral reading exercise. |
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Is the
book too hard or too easy?
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If the student keeps up with little effort, the tutor
should use more difficult material
so that it will be a challenge. If the student has a great deal of difficulty
in keeping up, recognizes few words, and is becoming very frustrated, the
tutor should use easier material. |
- Keep in Mind
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Do not ask the student to read aloud from this
material by himself. Since it is above his reading level, it may be a
frustrating experience. |
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Occasionally the tutor may wish to spend a few minutes
reading aloud to the student. This should be from material of interest to the
student; it can be several levels above his reading level. |
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It will help motivate the student to improve his own
reading in order to be able to read and enjoy similar material on his own. |
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Many students with reading problems were never read to as
children, so this can be a valuable experience in helping them in several
ways. It can motivate them to practice reading on their own. It can
introduce stories that parents can orally
tell their children. |
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