Is Popcorn Reading Good for Fluency Practice?

When it comes to instructional practices in literacy, there are many things that are tried and true, which we can count on to be effective. Systematic phonics instruction, teaching vocabulary and morphology, shared reading, etc. are all tried and true instructional practices that make a big difference for kids. Some practices, however, have been proven to be not as effective, and even ineffective. Memorizing high frequency words, asking kids to learn the shape of words, and only asking comprehension questions rather than teaching comprehension strategies come to mind. Then there are some practices that we’ve used before, and seem to have merit, despite the research.  One of those practices? Popcorn reading for fluency practice. 

Popcorn reading has been around for ages. I distinctly remember this practice being used in my own elementary school years, and I’m no spring chicken.

It is still used in many places today, as teachers look for ways to help their students practice reading fluently.  It is, after all, another opportunity for teachers to hear students read aloud. 

That said, there is ample research to support the idea that popcorn reading is an ineffective, and even damaging practice. 

So, let’s break it down. Let’s talk about the positives and the negatives of popcorn reading, and whether or not we should include this practice in our own instruction at all. Because so often, there’s a “meeting in the middle” when it comes to teaching.

First, let’s look at the plus side of popcorn reading. 

When we hear students read aloud, we gain much insight into the many aspects of fluency . We also get small glimpses into their understanding of how to break apart words and general level of accuracy. When we hear them reading aloud, it’s gives us insight on what they hear in their own head when they read to themselves.  This is extremely important, of course. 

Given that fluency is a strong indication of comprehension, it’s definitely something to pay close attention to.  It’s even one of the Five Pillars of reading instruction spelled out by the National Reading Panel.  I say much more about the impact of fluency here.

“Fluency does not guarantee comprehension, but a lack of fluency guarantees almost all the time a lack of comprehension, especially with more complex texts,”

David Liben, co-author, Know Better, Do Better

So yeah.  Listening to kids read is always a good thing. Which makes popcorn reading one way to it.

Now let’s talk about the negatives of popcorn reading. 

If a student is a struggling reader, popcorn reading can be excruciating. The idea of reading aloud in front of peers can be incredibly embarrassing. That’s where it can really damage kids. 

Cult of Pedagogy’s Jennifer Gonzalez says that much research shows that popcorn reading can make students “feel a great deal of anxiety and humiliation. ” Because of this high level of anxiety, kids cannot focus on the thing that matters most–comprehension.  Researchers Johnson and Lapp agree.  They found that this kind of reading actually doesn’t support either fluency or comprehension. Which means that ironically, the reason for doing popcorn reading–to improve fluency–can actually damage it.

To put it in teacher perspective, think about when you’re reading aloud to your class and another teacher or your admin walks in.  Suddenly, you’re very self-conscious, and you get a little nervous.  You might even begin to falter–and you’re a strong reader.  Imagine having 20 people walk in…and you weren’t a strong reader.  That’s how it can feel for some kids.

I can also say, because this was my own experience, it can be excruciating for kids that don’t struggle to read. Listening to a peer struggle and fumble through a text is incredibly difficult. Because there are so many stops, starts, mispronunciations, incorrectly stressed words, (if it’s not monotone) and awkward phrases, it impedes everyone’s comprehension.  

Additionally, I remember feeling so embarrassed for those children.  I felt so sorry for them.  And I remember wondering why we couldn’t just read on our own and get through it already.  In other words, it can cause feelings of frustration between students.  Not to mention turn reading into something that kids have to grudgingly get through.  

The other big reason popcorn reading can be damaging is that students actually get very little time to read, meaning there isn’t actually much opportunity for fluency practice.

True, students are supposed to follow along as another is reading because they could be called on at any moment.  But there’s no guarantee that they are.  They could very well be idly sitting, not putting in any reading work at all. 

So what should we do?  Should we include popcorn reading as an instructional practice? 

It does seem to have some merit, but it also has big drawbacks. Maybe there’s a way to meet in the middle? A way to improve the practice?  A popcorn reading 2.0?

Once in a while, popcorn reading can work.  If…

Once a teacher gets to know their students extremely well–when she understands who enjoys this sort of performance and who does not–and if a classroom community has been built strongly so that it truly is a highly supportive environment (which I can say, because of my own feelings about this as a child, is not always the case)–  then the teacher would definitely be able to make a judgment call on not only whether or not to include this practice, but which students to call in which students to read with in a more private situation.

I would not recommend popcorn reading becoming an everyday activity.  Sure, it can certainly be a way to shake things up a little bit and do things differently every once in a while.  If all the key pieces that I mentioned above are in place, there would likely be no issue. 

But is there a better way? 

Yes. Here’s what I recommend. 

First, leverage small group instruction and conferring. 

When you confer with a reader, it is the best time to ask that child to read a little bit aloud. You’re going to get the information that you need – – phrasing, prosody, accuracy, etc. You are going to get a great indication of how they break apart words and their reading behaviors, such as reading if something doesn’t make sense, attending to punctuation, and their level of executive function skill with reading. 

Similarly, this can be done the same way in small group instruction. As students are reading the text provided, listen in to individual kids as they read. This can be done if they begin reading in a staggered start format, or read mostly silently until you signal to them to read aloud.  This of course depends on their reading stage.  In this way, you are able to hear them all read, and students are reading far more of the text.  A popcorn reading situation would severely limit how much reading each child does.

Another way to meet the same needs that popcorn reading might satisfy but in a better way is through share/choral reading. 

When everybody reads the text, no one stands out. No one feels inferior.  That can be a much-needed confidence boost for so many students!   Everyone reads the same text, which also means they all read far more of the text. In a popcorn reading scenario, students are only reading tiny snippets of text, reducing the amount of practice that they actually get reading aloud. When the teacher can hear all voices, they can still gain much information about students’ reading. You can still hear how your students are doing. You can even hone in on single students without calling them out specifically. 

Tips for capturing individual students’ fluency progress in a whole group setting:

Keep a checklist of students with their names down the side of the paper and the skills that you want to attend to across the top. Focus on a few kids a day over time so that you can take note of all students over a week or so.  You can use the same form in your small group instruction as well as in your conferring for a more comprehensive picture.  

In a whole class setting, you can still shake things up here and there.  Try having the girls read some parts and the boys read other parts. Or maybe you number your students, and the odd students read and then the even students.  The sneaky thing this does is reduce the number of students that the teacher can to hear at one time, making capturing that formative assessment data much easier. 

“Instead of one child practicing oral reading at a time—with everyone else watching—engaging students in activities like paired reading (in which, taking turns, one student reads aloud and the other listens and helps) are much more effective.”

Tim Shanahan

Another way to shake up fluency practice every once in a while? 

Read all together but in different voices.  In the US, kids love to add a British accent, for example.  Small things like this, sprinkled in, can make it more fun. 

Popcorn reading is just one of those instructional practices we need to be very careful with if we’re going to do it. We have to remember that the climate and culture of the classroom must be so strong that no child will feel singled out, and that no child will judge another. We also have to remember that if the goal is to help students practice oral reading fluency, then we have to consider whether reading very short amounts of text versus longer amounts of text is the right move. And, we have to take to heart Tim Shanahan’s advice:  that “oral reading practice should not be a spectator sport.”  

It’s all about considering whether popcorn reading is really the best practice for your students’ needs.

Maybe capturing that data during small group instruction is best. Maybe a whole group choral read format will be just as powerful. Or maybe spending a minute or so listening to students read during one-on-one conferences will really give us the best picture. More than likely, it will end up being a combination of all of these methods. No teacher can lean on only one or two instructional practices. We need a variety, and so do students. 

Could you use a thinking partner to bring in more intentional fluency practice to your instructional day? I’m here to help! Simply email me at michelle@coachfromthecouch.com or reach out for a coaching call. 

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Who is Coach from the Couch??  I’m Michelle Ruhe, a 25+ year veteran educator, currently a K-5 literacy coach.  I continue to learn alongside teachers in classrooms each and every day, and it’s my mission to support as many teachers as I can.  Because no one can do this work alone. I’m available to you, too, through virtual coaching calls!  

And, be sure to join my Facebook community–a safe, supportive environment  where you can safely ask questions, gain ideas, and share your thoughts among other literacy-loving educators!