Read-Alouds
Reading Part 1
What is a read aloud, and why is it important?
Read-alouds are simply when books or other writing is read orally in a group. This is greatly important since it can promote a love of reading in children, especially at younger ages. Since this is so vital to a child's growth, read alouds must occur daily, and must include a variety of media, over many subject areas.
What are some benefits of read-alouds?
As previously mentioned, read-alouds are a great way to get young minds to enjoy reading. Read-alouds also stimulate the child's mind as the text is analysed, and predictions are made for the rest of the book. In order to do this, students must be able to make connections to the book based on the book's title and cover, personal experiences, other books written by the same author, or other forms of media. As the class reads various types of books, the students' vocabulary will be greatly enhanced and diversified.
How to Conduct a Read-Aloud Session
Read Alouds have 3 sessions: Before, During, and After
Before
At this point, the teacher introduces the book, including the title, author, cover, and illustrator. Discussion on the book, such as some predictions, is encouraged by the teacher. Finally, new content, unfamiliar vocabulary, and other features are explained. The Table of Contents, Glossary, and other sections of the book are discussed. Students are also encouraged to inquire about the book and its topic.
During
Here, the teacher reads the book with great enthusiasm. This is important, since the children must enjoy the book. The pace of the book must be tailored to the text as well as the needs of the students. Connections as well as predictions, are also made while reading the book.
After
After reading the book, there is discussion on connections to related background and experiences. Patterns and other elements within the story are also discussed as a group. Questions about the book are also discussed at this point. Students also perform a writing task to apply their learning. Finally, the students expand and reflect on the ideas of other students in the class.
Think-Alouds
Think-Alouds are when a person or a group of people narrate what their thoughts are on a particular text. Ideally, a teacher plans the think-aloud beforehand in order to convey an organized message to the students.
The Giving Tree