Interactive Read-Alouds
TT #19
Instructional focus:
The instructional focus is on comprehension and oral language. Interpretation is enhanced because students are engaged in the reading process before, during, and after reading
Grade Levels used:
It can be used in all of the grades and ELL students
When to use it:
Do this whenever you're reading aloud, no matter if it's after-lunch, during a literature focus unit, reading workshop, or for a thematic unit
Steps for this strategy:
- Teachers introduce the book and activate students' background knowledge before they begin reading
- Engage students while they read aloud through brief discussions and other activities
- Then after reading, they provide opportunities for students to respond to the book
How teachers engage students
- Stop reading periodically to discuss what has just been read
- Timing is crucial
- It is more effective to stop reading where students can make predictions and connections
Why use it?
- Students tend to be better listeners when they're involved during the reading
- For ELL students, this strategy provides an opportunity for them to listen to age-appropriate texts that they could not read on their own
How to use it
- Pick a book. Teachers choose award-winning and other high-quality books that are appropriate for students and that fit into their instructional programs
- Preview the book. Teachers practice reading the book to ensure that they can read it fluently and to decide where to pause and engage students with the text; they write prompts on self-stick notes to mark these pages. Teachers also think about how they'll introduce the book and select difficult vocabulary words to highlight
- Introduce the book. Teachers activate students' background knowledge, set a clear purpose for listening, and preview the text.
Repeated Interactive Read-aloud in Kindergarten