Think Aloud Strategies
for Comprehending Expository and Narrative Text
Introduction
share as a whole group
Give students the opportunity to share with the whole class.
share in a small group
think to self
Tip #1 Teacher Model Think Aloud
Check out this video, Best Practice: Modeling Thinking For Students
Tip #2 Think Aloud Activities use Metacognition
Tip #3 Gather Background Knowledge
Example:
Book: “And you could not live by eating flies.”
Teacher Prompt: “I remember that lions are carnivores, meaning they eat meat. I know that the lion's plan will not work.” (Ness, Kenny table 4)
Tip #4 Create Inferences
Tip #5 Ask Questions to Clarify Confusion
Ask the students, "Did the story makes sense to you?" "What was confusing about the topic?" Many times the older students will tell you that they do not understand what is happening, but if the moment is embarrassing they may not say anything. Most of the younger students will not even notice that they are missing the meaning of the story. As the teacher, you will need to clarify meaning by asking questions. The students can use this time to tell you orally about the story.
Example of how this might sound:
"And it bit the lion."
Teacher: “I wonder why the spider bit the lion here. Was it out of revenge for ruining his web? I'll have to read on to find out.” (Ness, Kenny)
Tip #6 Strategies for English Language Learners
Tip #7 Scaffolding
Below is a great video where a teacher helps her students start thinking about questioning as they read.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sd1FlXxpVIw&index=8&list=PLG4jF-Hwsi7hc_ggGy87fo3hsn8sV_81S
Tip #8 Use Short Mystery Stories to Get Students to Think Aloud
Mystery Characters
Ask:
"What are the characteristics of each character?" "What do you think the characters will do next? "What they are thinking at a specific time in the story?"Mystery Mood
Ask:
"What mood does the story have? How did you feel after you read the text?"Mystery Clues
Ask:
Look at the clues! What might be happening in the story that the narrator hasn't told you about yet?Tip #9 Visualize
Tip #10 Reflect
What Can Parents Do?
Parent Tip #1 Ask Questions!
Parents, this is a great video that gives 5 amazing tips on how to read best with your child! Check it out!
Parent Tip #2 Create Dialogue
We carry on conversations all the time with our children. Creating dialogue about books can be just as easy! Once you and your child bond over one or two genres, getting to know the author and type of book becomes natural!
Example of the how the dialogue may sound:
“And some of us may be small but very smart.”
“I know that fables have a moral, or a lesson for the reader to learn. What the spider says here gives me a hint about the lesson to the reader here. The lion was lazy and unkind to the spider, but the spider teaches the lion about hard work and cleverness. The author is telling me here that hard work pays off and that I should not be unkind to others.” (Ness, Kenny table 4).
Parent Tip #3 Restate what your child says
Parent Tip #4 Let Your Child Pick their Books
Parent Tip #5 Be A Reader!
Share
Share with your child what you are reading. Make it fun and enjoyable!
Be the Reader!
Pick a book, and be the one to initiate the reading.
Read Alone
Rest and read your favorites without anyone around. Your child when notice and want to be just like you!
created by: Amanda Raymond
Webliography
https://www.teachervision.com/skill-builder/problem-solving/48546.html Teacher Vision is a fun site to visit. Teacher Vision explains exactly what the think aloud strategy is, "it asks students to say out loud what they are thinking about when reading, solving math problems, or simply responding to questions posed by the teacher or a peer." When teachers listen to their students think aloud, they can begin to understand their strengths and weaknesses.
http://powerupwhatworks.org/strategy-guide/thinking-aloud Power Up What Works is an intersting site to visit. This site gives you a video where you can view a presentation of think aloud strategies. If you are searching for a few assessments, look at this website.
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/think-aloud-strategy-oldie-but-goodie-elena-aguilar Edutopia is a colorful site! It urges you take incoporate culture into the classroom. When you use think aloud strategies, you can get students to express the individuals they are appreciate the culture within every child!
Bibliography
Helping elementary teachers to think aloud. (2014). Reading Horizons (Online), 53(2), 1-25. Retrieved from https://login.ezproxy.uta.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.uta.edu/docview/1563997320?accountid=7117
This article gives more great ideas on how to implement think alouds in the classroom. It is written from research. This article helps clear up any more questions you may have.
Hillman, J. (2003). Improving comprehension with think-aloud strategies: Modeling what good readers do. New England Reading Association Journal, 39(2), 52-53. Retrieved from https://login.ezproxy.uta.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.uta.edu/docview/206037426?accountid=7117
This article explains what good readers do, and that is think aloud.
Morrison, V., & Wlodarczyk, L. (2009). Revisiting read-aloud: Instructional strategies that encourage students' engagement with texts. The Reading Teacher, 63(2), 110-118. Retrieved from https://login.ezproxy.uta.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.uta.edu/docview/203284151?accountid=7117
This article expresses how you can get students involved in their reading.
Oster, L. (2001). Using the think-aloud for reading instruction. The Reading Teacher,55(1), 64-69. Retrieved from https://login.ezproxy.uta.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.uta.edu/docview/203275840?accountid=7117
This article describes how you can use think aloud strategies for reading instruction.
References
http://powerupwhatworks.org/strategy-guide/thinking-aloud
http://www.readingrockets.org/strategies/think_alouds
https://www.teachervision.com/skill-builder/problem-solving/48546.html
McKeown, R. G., & Gentilucci, J. L. (2007). Think-aloud strategy: Metacognitive development and monitoring comprehension in the middle school second-language classroom. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 51(2), 136-142,144-147. Retrieved from https://login.ezproxy.uta.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.uta.edu/docview/216919923?accountid=7117
Ness, M., & Kenny, M. (2016;2015;). Improving the quality of Think‐Alouds. The Reading Teacher, 69(4), 453-460. doi:10.1002/trtr.1397 Retrieved from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com.ezproxy.uta.edu/doi/10.1002/trtr.1397/abstract
Oster, L. (2001). Using the think-aloud for reading instruction. The Reading Teacher,55(1), 64-69. Retrieved from https://login.ezproxy.uta.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.uta.edu/docview/203275840?accountid=7117
Routman, R. (2003). Reading essentials: The specifics you need to teach reading well.
Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.