TK Section Header Interactive R -Aloud
Deepening Comprehension With the Interactive Read-Aloud Research shows that reading aloud to children is one of the best ways to spend your instructional time with them. But reading aloud plus talking with children about the book you are reading is even better. Indeed, the research is indisputable. The most effective read-alouds are those in which children are not just sitting, passively listening, but are actively participating, absorbing the story, turning it over in their minds, asking questions, analyzing the text from multiple angles, and in all ways demonstrating their engagement. Known as dialogic or interactive , these read-alouds result in student gains in vocabulary (Hargrave & Sénéchal, 2000), comprehension strategies, story schema (Van den Broek, 1997), and concept development (Wasik et al., 2001). However, simply inviting students to talk during interactive read-alouds does not provide the needed learning boost. It’s the textual analysis —deep, intentional conversation about the text—that makes the difference. You can lead your students into this sort of analytical thinking by modeling what it looks and sounds like, by offering thoughtful comments, and by asking thought-provoking questions (Dickinson & Smith, 1994; Fountas & Pinnell, 2006, 2012; Harwayne, 2008; Serravallo, 2012). You can also model for them how to identify and cite textual evidence. As the name suggests, the read-aloud is truly interactive (Fountas & Pinnell, 2006). As you read aloud to your students, invite them to participate, make comments, extend the ideas of their peers, evaluate the author’s point of view, and ask and respond to questions. In ways that are akin to those of an orchestra conductor, help manage the conversation. This may include asking your students to turn and talk with a neighbor about their thinking; offering students opportunities to participate with safe, scaffolded support, such as the prompts suggested on the teaching cards; or simply modeling the internal questioning process of a good reader. Students quickly learn how to comment, critique, and claim their own thoughts beyond the usual “I liked it” or “I didn’t like it.”
During an interactive read-aloud, students learn to: • focus on a text. • use suitable language when talking about a text. • listen actively and respect the ideas of others. • build on the comments of others. • back up their opinions with evidence from a text.
10 Comprehension Clubs Grades K–5 Implementation Guide
Interactive Read-Aloud
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