Revisiting the read-aloud.

Many of us remember being read to each day when we were in kindergarten and the primary grades. We looked forward to this time as entertainment and relaxation, not realizing all we were learning while listening. We were building background knowledge related to language and literacy while developing our imagination and learning about exciting places and interesting people.

Even though reading aloud to children of all ages is heralded as one of the most important strategies for fostering literacy development and a lifelong love of reading, its use in schools has waned as accountability issues and high-stakes testing result in time restraints. While children in kindergarten and 1st grade may hear stories read on a daily basis, older students are denied opportunities to stretch their imagination and understanding of the world by hearing quality literature read out loud. This Idea-Sparker revisits the importance of reading aloud to students.

Why Read Aloud?

According to Jim Trelease (2001), author of The Read-Aloud Handbook, reading aloud to children helps them become better readers: "Each time you read aloud to a child or class, you offer yourself as a role model" (p. 11). Imitation is an important strategy everyone, regardless of age, uses for learning. Children more often imitate those they admire and feel an attachment to. Enjoying a book together can prove to be a way of developing relationships between adults and children. Reading aloud helps young children become readers and older children become stronger readers, because it provides:

* An emotional bond between reader and listeners

* A model of reading for pleasure

* Opportunities to live vicariously in new or different situations

* Shared knowledge among students in a class

* An appreciation for literature that is above one's own reading level

* Access to rich vocabulary and interesting sentence patterns

* Lead-ins to interesting discussions and conversations

* Exposure to good literature across a variety of genres

* Opportunities to develop the imagination

* Motivation to read independently.

When you read aloud to children, you demonstrate that you value reading by giving it a high priority on the classroom schedule.

Reading Adventure

Within any class of 20-25 students, a wide range of interests and comprehension levels can be found. Therefore, it is important, whenever possible, to find ways to break large groups into smaller, more intimate, groups and offer students a choice of books. The smaller the group, the more effective the reading, because readers can make personal connections between listeners and the story, show pictures more efficiently, and foster discussions. Reading Adventure is a strategy that not only creates smaller groups for read-alouds but also allows for presenting a wider variety of literature. During Reading Adventure, several guest readers are invited to come to the classroom simultaneously, and students are able to choose from among several selections.

By designating a specific day and time each week, Reading Adventure can become a regular classroom activity. Several classrooms may want to join together, thus creating more choices and providing students from different classrooms with opportunities to share literature. The amount of time allotted to this activity would depend on the age of the listeners. Teachers could enlist volunteer readers for a semester at a time. Reading Adventure sign-up charts can be made ahead of time and posted in participating classrooms, giving students ample opportunities to mull over their choices.

To create an Reading Adventure ritual in your school:

* Join with other interested teachers.

* Designate a common day and time for Reading Adventure.

* Brainstorm a list of possible guest readers (see Figure 1).

* Develop a mailing list and an electronic address book for potential guests. Contact potential guests personally, and follow up with a written or electronic letter asking them to schedule a specific date.

* Provide guest readers with information about choosing books and presenting read-alouds.

* Check back with guest readers the week before they are scheduled to visit and find out the title of the book they plan to read.

* Three days before Reading Adventure, prepare and post sign-up charts in each participating classroom (see Figure 2).

* Allow students time to consider their choices and confer with friends in other classrooms as they sign up for Reading Adventure.

* On the day of Reading Adventure, give students as much help as they need (depending on their ages) as they form groups and move to designated story sites.

* When students reassemble in their classrooms, ask them to share their responses to the stories.

Choosing Books To Read Aloud

Not every book, even a great one, makes for a good read-aloud. Therefore, choose carefully. Start by reading the book out loud and considering the following questions:

* Do I love this book (or selection of poetry)? If so, your enthusiasm for the book will be infectious.

* Is the book worth the time, in terms of quality, language, theme, etc.?

* Is it a special book you want the students to know--one they might not read on their own?

* Is it fun or interesting to read?

* Is the theme and content appropriate for your students' emotional maturity?

* Is it challenging, and does it extend or expand upon listeners' literary tastes?

* Can I read it, or a significant portion of it, at an easy pace during the allotted time?

What Makes a Good Read?

Reading aloud to a group is not as easy as it might appear. What makes a good read?

* Practice! Never present a book that you have not already read aloud several times. When reading silently, the word "hippopotamus," for example, does not offer much of a challenge to most adult readers. The rhythm of the word resonates easily in the mind. However, read it aloud and you will find that your mouth has to make many different movements, which upsets the rhythm you heard in your head as you read silently. Through practice, you can create a rhythm, establish a mood, and develop a pace that will keep the audience attuned.

* Knowledge of the Story. Readers who know their story and do not have to read it verbatim can devote more energy and attention to pacing, expression, and maintaining a high level of involvement among listeners.

* Connections. When you introduce a story by providing connections between the listeners and the theme or setting of the book, your audience will be hooked from the beginning.

* Involvement. Keep children involved in the story though your pacing and eye contact, and by asking questions that elicit predictions and providing brief explanations of difficult vocabulary.

* Expression. Use both your face and your voice to express yourself, being careful not to exaggerate or become falsely dramatic.

Figure 1--Guest Readers

When developing a list of guest readers, consider the following:

Students from the upper elementary grades, or from middle or high school

Parents/guardians and other family members, such as grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins

School, city, or community librarians

Children's neighbors

Former or future teachers

Community storytellers

Building or district staff (cafeteria staff, secretaries, administrators, etc.)

Business partners and community leaders

Senior citizens

Authors and illustrators

Local celebrities

University and community college professors

Your own friends, neighbors, and family

Figure 2--PREPARING THE READING ADVENTURE CHART

Reading Adventure Sign-up Chart

Monday, February 23, 1:00-1:30

Third Grade, Rooms 4 and 6

Judy Blume Double Fudge (Continuing from Chapter 5)

Chris Van Allsburg The Wretched Stone

Robert Coles The Story of Ruby Bridges 

Robin Muller The Magic Paintbrush 

Shel Silverstein Selections from Where the Sidewalk Ends

C. S. Lewis The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (Starts Today!)

Bernard Wolf Coming to America: A Muslim Family's Story

Aliki Ah, Music!

* Gather the titles for each week's Reading Adventure. Vary the format of the chart from week to week. For example, for one week list just titles and authors, and the next week, list titles, authors, and readers. Every so often, see what happens when you just list Mystery Reader or Mystery Book.

* Determine the number of students that can attend each reading by dividing the number of titles to be read by the total number of students taking part. For example, if two classrooms are participating in Reading Adventure and each classroom has 20 students, you will need to have at least 40 space for listeners. However, providing more than 40 sign-up lines will ensure that students truly have choice. Groups do not have to be the same size. Some readings, particularly with chapter books or novels, can be done effectively with large groups. Picture books require careful observation of the illustrations to be understood effectively, and therefore should be read to the smallest groups possible. If you are going to post one sign-up chart in each of the participating classrooms, you will need to further divide the number of sign-up lines so that students in each classroom have equal opportunities to attend. For example, if you decide that one story can accommodate eight listeners and there are two participating classrooms, put four sign-up lines under each title on each of the charts.

* Write the title and author of all the books to be offered on the chart and draw the predetermine number of sign-up lines under each title.

* Develop a Reading Adventure Chart for each participating classroom and post it two or three days before Reading Adventure. This will give all students ample opportunities to consider their options.

Call for Idea-Sparkers

Send us your classroom ideas via mail, fax, phone, or E-mail. Photos and illustrations are welcome. Please include your name, address, where you have used this idea, and a description of the activity. Send your Idea-Sparkers to: Judith Kieff, 3517 Camp St., New Orleans, LA 70115 [e-mail]