All About Read Aloud?Dr. Kimbell-Lopez

EDCI 424 Materials and Methods for Teaching Reading

What do we mean by read aloud?In the read aloud, the teacher reads to the whole class,

building on students' existing skills while introducing different types of literature and new concepts. From… http://

www.learner.org/workshops/readingk2/front/keyterms2.html We read to children for all the same reasons we talk with

children: to reassure, to entertain, to bond; to inform or explain, to arouse curiosity, to inspire. But in reading aloud, we also:Condition the child’s brain to associate reading with pleasureCreate background knowledgeBuild vocabularyProvide a reading role modelFrom…http://www.trelease-on-reading.com/rah-ch1.html

Tips and GuidelinesRead aloud so elementary-school children can:

Continue to associate reading with warm, pleasant feelings; learn about words and language; build listening skills; expand vocabularies; talk about the characters, settings, and plot then relate them to their own lives; gain knowledge about a variety of topics.

Gain exposure to a variety of writing styles and structures. Explore social and moral issues and behaviors. Become more skilled independent readers. Discover which authors and writing styles they like. Be motivated to read on their own.

From http://www.rif.org/parents/tips/tip.mspx?View=11

More on Tips…Set the stage before you begin reading. Discuss what

you read yesterday and what might happen next. Take turns reading aloud; for example, each of you

can read a page in an easy reader. Defer questions until after you finish reading, if

possible. This helps children get fully engaged in listening to a story.

Summarize, adapt, or skip parts of books that are too far above a child's level of understanding.

Relate a book you are reading to one read in the past. Talk about how they are alike and how they differ.

More on Tips…Ask a child to imagine what he or she might do in a

situation similar to that faced by a character. Provide materials and activities that let children

expand their understanding of a character, historical event, or situation.

Talk about what you have read. Books often evoke strong feelings that need to be shared.

Offer your reactions and invite a child to do the same.

Stop reading at a suspenseful point in the book. This encourages a child to be eager for tomorrow's read-aloud time.

What Instructional Areas are Addressed?Read-aloud …

models fluent and expressive reading, develops comprehension,Develops critical thinking strategies -- including the

ability to make connections, visualize stories, and formulate questions, and

Builds listening skills. A read-aloud can be conducted without interruption, or

the teacher can pause to ask questions and make observations.

From… http://www.learner.org/workshops/readingk2/front/keyterms2.html

Why is reading aloud important for children of all ages?In 1985, the Commission on Reading issued its report,

Becoming a Nation of Readers. Among its primary findings, two simple declarations rang loud and clear:“The single most important activity for building the

knowledge required for eventual success in reading is reading aloud to children.”

The commission found conclusive evidence to support reading aloud not only in the home but also in the classroom: “It is a practice that should continue throughout the grades.”

From… http://www.trelease-on-reading.com/rah-ch1.html

So What?Jim Trelease, noted author of the Read Aloud

Handbook (Penguin, 2006), states that it boils down to a simple, two-part formula:The more you read, the better you get at it; the

better you get at it, the more you like it; and the more you like it, the more you do it.

The more you read, the more you know; and the more you know, the smarter you grow.

The goal of schools should be to create lifetime readers—graduates who continue to read and educate themselves throughout their adult lives