Interactive Read-Alouds
Literacy Strategy #19
What Is It?
- Teacher engages the students while doing a read-aloud
- This is done by asking questions, making predictions, and allowing the students to make sense of what was read
- Can be used for nonfiction, stories, and poetry
Nonfiction
- Ask questions to share information
- Take notes
- Restate headings as questions
- Take notes
- Restate headings as questions
Stories
- Make personal connections
- Reenact a scene from the story
- Make predictions about what is going to happen in the story
- Reenact a scene from the story
- Make predictions about what is going to happen in the story
Poetry
- Add sound effects
- Repeat lines after teacher
- Clap at rhyming words, alliterations, and other poetic wordings
- Repeat lines after teacher
- Clap at rhyming words, alliterations, and other poetic wordings
How To Use Interactive Read-Alouds
1. Choose a book appropriate for students
2. Preview the book for the students (introduce important vocabulary)
3. Introduce the book by setting a clear purpose for the text, as well activating students' background knowledge
4. Read the book interactively, using questions, comments, and expressive reading
5. Have students participate in discussions or other after-reading activities
2. Preview the book for the students (introduce important vocabulary)
3. Introduce the book by setting a clear purpose for the text, as well activating students' background knowledge
4. Read the book interactively, using questions, comments, and expressive reading
5. Have students participate in discussions or other after-reading activities
English Language Learners
- Read the book/selection at least two times through
- First time reading - teacher stops to ask questions about the text
- Second time reading - teacher encourages students to discuss text
- Read-alouds are helpful because they show fluid reading, build backgrounds about topics, allow students to learn new vocabulary words, and bring in text from multiple genres
Important Considerations
- TIMING IS CRUCIAL! Think about when to stop in the text and what would be best for comprehension
- Remember - reading aloud brings excitement and interest about reading a new book
- You set the example for the students - if you are excited, they will be, too!