Say Something

Say Something is a paired reading strategy developed by Jerome Harste that highlights the social nature of language and demonstrates that understanding develops and evolves from our interactions with others. Participants are able to see that partnership enhances meaning, and that as constraints normally operating in reading are altered, so are involvement and the kind of thinking that becomes possible. Partners develop relationships between new information and what they all ready know or believe. Say Something encourages students to think about what they are reading by helping them see areas where they are not paying attention.

 

 

Implementation

 

1. With a partner, decide who will say something first.
2. Take turns reading the selection aloud (stop about every two or three paragraphs).
3. Pause to say something about what was read.
4. When you say something, do one or more of the following:

• Make a prediction
• Ask a question
• Clarify something you had misunderstood
• Make a comment
• Make a connection

 

Classroom Management

1. The teacher models the strategy by “saying something” about a text and completing a Say Something graphic.
2. Initially the teacher might suggest that readers begin using statements in the beginning: This reminds me of…, When reading this I felt…I didn’t understand it when the author said… because…
3. Students read a short text, stopping occasionally to discuss the text by making a prediction, asking a question, making a comment, or making a connection.
4. Students should practice Say Something using very short text before using the strategy as an assignment.