Back to School Read Alouds
There is no better way to teach students to love reading than showing them that YOU love reading. No matter how young or old your students are, they will benefit from the daily independent reading time and frequent teacher read-alouds. I read to my students after recess to calm down the energy in the room, during various instructional blocks, and at the end of the day.
Reading aloud to students has many benefits that accompany developing the joy of reading, which I feel is paramount. Reading aloud helps students acquire new vocabulary and improves their listening skills. When teachers read aloud to their students, students hear new words and how those words are used in context. Reading aloud also helps develop community because students have the opportunity to experience the same text, which gives them a common text to discuss.
A few read-aloud tips:
Select a book you enjoy when you read aloud during free time.
You can read chapter books, textbooks, or picture books. No matter which text you share, read the text beforehand. Pre Reading the text will make a massive difference in how you read the text to students. You don’t need surprises when sharing a book.
Practice makes perfect. You want to practice where to put intonation. Flat reading will not keep your students interested.
If you are sharing the book for enjoyment, limit your interactions on the first read. Students can lose track of the story if there are too many pauses, questions, breaks in reading, etc.
You can read a book more than once. My students loved when I read familiar text. It allowed them to join in.
Feature the books you read aloud. Place the newly read book on the chalkboard ledge, in the library, or in a learning center so students can read them. They love to read the books that the teacher shares.
I love reading aloud, but I know everyone does not share my enthusiasm. If you find it challenging to read aloud to your students, I suggest you start slow and read one book a week until you build up your read-aloud muscles. There are many resources available, and you can share videos of others reading aloud. I love StoryLine Online, https://storylineonline.net/.
It is a free website with actors reading a variety of picture books. Students can listen to books on school-based websites (virtual text). Most textbooks offer virtual support. Also, check out your school and public libraries; both may offer virtual text.
