“Reading aloud should never end in elementary school. Reading gets more complex as students move up through the grades and the expectations we have of them as readers continue to grow. This is important teaching—modeling what good readers do naturally, then sending students out to read with those models fresh in their minds. It builds the enthusiasm for reading and the skills and strategies needed to become readers who get lost in a book.” Short and Extended Texts And though we may be more familiar with reading aloud chapter books with older students, Scharer et al., (2018) remind us of the power of short texts, including picture books, for readers of all ages: We advocate using beautiful, content-rich, age- and grade-appropriate picture books—short stories or poetry or short informational pieces illustrated with beautiful art—as a foundation for thinking, talking, and writing. Secondary teacher Penny Kittle depends on both read-alouds and book talks—often with short texts—as the best way to lure her students into reading and convince them to become readers with their own rich and fulfilling reading lives. In her tribute to the joy of reading— Book Love: Developing Depth, Stamina, and Passion in Adolescent Readers (2013)—she reminds us that “reading aloud is the most important foundation in teaching writing.” She frequently reads aloud poetry and other short texts as a way to help her students learn to crack open and analyze a text with their own writing in mind. What the Read-Aloud Accomplishes The interactive read-aloud is multifaceted. It lends itself to both extended chapter books as well as short texts such as poetry, magazine articles, and short stories—and it offers a range of benefits to all readers. Laminack (2016) demonstrates that the interactive read-aloud accomplishes multiple, essential instructional goals simultaneously by: • Drawing all students into the text. • Capturing the interest of disengaged readers. • Expanding students’ reading horizons by exposing them to new books, authors, and genres. • Furnishing background information. • Refining students’ understanding of texts—genre, format, literary elements, text structures, and features. • Promoting inquiry. • Teaching essential strategic reading actions. • Encouraging students to view topics from multiple perspectives. • Improving listening comprehension.
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INTERACTIVE READ-ALOUDS IN THE CLASSROOM
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