Reading aloud is something children never outgrow. The benefits extend far beyond the classroom, and it can be a vital part of a child’s literary development. Let’s investigate some ways to use this powerful teaching tool.
What Does A Read Aloud Look Like?
Reading aloud can look very different depending on the setting and the learning objective. It also provides steps to give more responsibility to the student.
Four Categories of Reading Aloud
1. Read Aloud- Reading Straight Through
- Often nicknamed ”I do, you watch”- this form of read aloud is when the teacher or parent reads the story with enthusiasm at a pace that engages the listener, but does not stop to ask questions or make observations
- This is an important form of reading aloud, because it reinforces reading for enjoyment and children learn to take clues from how the reader reads: tone, pace, inflection, in other words, we are putting expression into the reading and it becomes an exciting and enjoyable experience on its own
- Modeling the behavior we want students to copy is a highly effective way to teach by example
2. Interactive Read Aloud
- “I do, you help”- this read aloud involves the students from beginning to end
- Starting with the cover and making predictions, stopping along the way to ask questions, and summarizing the story once finished are all tools we use to engage the reader, increase comprehension, and make reading purposeful
- Interactive Read Aloud can be used for specific purposes, like introducing a new topic to study, or generating vocabulary words, or even teaching students how to use context clues along the way such as: illustrations, text boxes, bold printed words, etc.
3. Shared Reading
- “You do, I help”- in this method, the class reads along with the teacher from the same book after the teacher has read the story first (usually)
- This gives the student the opportunity to practice reading something a little more challenging in a setting where they feel successful and supported
- The same methods of the Interactive Read Aloud can be very useful here, especially as the students become more familiar with the book after re-reading
- This is a great way to practice reading skills such as fluency, sight word recognition, inflection, and retelling
- Shared Reading can be used with a whole class, small group, or individual setting
4. Guided Reading
- “You do, I watch”- this is essentially the reverse of the read aloud, but with support form the teacher or parent
- This process is typically done in small group or individual activities
- The goal is not to correct every mistake, but to teach children how to look at a text before reading, find clues that help them along the way, allow time for self-correction, and to ask questions that may lead to better understanding
- It is best to take note of what needs extra support, rather than correcting the reader as they read
The Final Step: Independent Reading
- All of these types of reading aloud are steps to achieve independent reading, but they do not have to be forgotten once students are able to read independently. It is just as important to read aloud to an older student as it is to a young child, even though the purpose may be different.
- Keep modeling the desired behavior- when children are reading independently in the classroom, the teacher should be reading quietly as well. If time constraints become too much to use that time for actual reading, I have been known to work on lesson plans and assessments carefully placed inside a hardcover library book a time or two.
Be creative and have fun! There are many opportunities to read aloud in the classroom that do not have to be connected to lessons and assessment. Choose a book to read during snack time, begin a lesson with a poem or a page from an informational text. Let students see reading as a fun and natural part of learning. For some great shared reading ideas, visit our extensive library for books that can be projected for the whole class to follow along:
http://www.biguniverse.com/readkidsbooks