Elementary Balanced Literacy: Read Alouds

Read Aloud minutes Research has found: The single most important activity for building knowledge for their eventual success is reading aloud to children. Children who have not been read to by parents often enough to develop knowledge of written language and how it differs from oral language can get it from being read to by teachers.

Read Aloud minutes Research has found: Reading aloud to children increases language and literacy development when teachers are intentional and purposeful about why they read, what they read, and how books are read.

Advantages of Read Alouds The advantages of read alouds include – developing positive attitudes toward and enjoyment in reading – strengthening cognitive development – instilling a sense of story structure and organization

Advantages of Read Alouds Teachers can make a large difference in children’s vocabulary development when they take time to explain and talk about important new words during read alouds. Reading aloud interactively builds comprehension. It has maximum learning potential when children have opportunities to actively participate and respond.

Read Alouds Address Comprehension Vocabulary Fluency Print concepts Content knowledge Oral language Background knowledge Listening comprehension Syntactic development Word recognition

CCSS Text Complexity Grade Bands and Associated Lexile Ranges Grade Current Lexiles CCSS Lexiles Guided Reading K-1N/ABR-450 A-K L-P Q-V W-Z N/A 11-CCR N/A

Additional Research Pinnell and Jaggar (2003) demonstrated the importance of read alouds in the growth of oral language for both first- and second- language speakers. Read alouds lead to an improvement in language expression throughout all curriculum subjects. Pinnell, G.S., & Jaggar, A.M. (2003). Oral language: Speaking and listening in elementary classrooms. In J. Flood, D.

Read Alouds Breaking it down – Before – During – After

Before Reading Text selection Preview and plan

Text Selection Books chosen are appropriate to students’ interests and to their developmental, emotional, and social levels. Read alouds provide an opportunity for students to interact with texts at the appropriate Common Core Lexile. Resources – school librarian – award-winning book lists – CCSS exemplar texts – websites

Preview and Plan The teachers pre-reads to ensure fluid reading. Teacher determines what skills and themes will be emphasized in each day’s reading. The teacher strategically plans when to stop to think aloud or engage students in with the text. The teacher identifies words that provide opportunities to expand students’ vocabulary through the use of context clues.

During Reading Prepare students for the read aloud. Fluent reading is modeled. Prosody engages students. Comprehension strategies are modeled. Students are active participants.

Preparing Students for the Read Aloud Students prepare for participating in the read aloud. Purpose of the read-aloud is shared with the students. Prior knowledge is activated and necessary background information is shared.

Fluent Reading Modeled Text is practiced to demonstrate fluent reading without pronunciation errors. – Teacher can read difficult names and invented words without stumbling. – Teacher reads with accuracy and automaticity. – Teacher adheres to the punctuation of the text.

Prosody Engages Student Teacher utilizes animation and expression by changing his/her voice to denote different character’s emotions and various moods the author was suggesting. Movement, hand gestures, facial expressions, and props provide the animation and expression that seem necessary to fully engage students.

Modeling Comprehension Teacher models through think alouds: Using Text Features Understanding new vocabulary Using comprehension strategies to understand text – previewing text – making predictions – making connections – drawing inferences/conclusions – generating questions – clarifying understanding

Active Student Participation Teacher utilizes cooperative strategies to engage students in meaningful discussions of text. – i.e., pair-share, thumbs-up, whole group, etc. Anchor charts remind students of protocols for discussions.

Discussion Question As you watch an example of a teacher read aloud, identify the evidence of best practices using the walkthrough tool.

Answer Key Preparation: ____ Books chosen are appropriate for students ____ Evidence of pre-planning During Read Aloud: ____ Purpose is communicated ____ Reading of text demonstrates fluent reading ____ Teacher uses prosody to engage students in text

Answer Key Teacher models comprehension through think alouds: ____ Using Text Features ____ Understanding new vocabulary Using comprehension strategies to understand text: ___ previewing text ___ drawing inferences/conclusions ___ making predictions ___ generating questions ___ making connections ___ clarifying understanding ___ visualizing

Answer Key ____Students are actively participating in meaningful discussion of texts ___ pair-share ___ whole group ___ thumbs-up ___ ______________________ ____ Anchor charts remind students of protocols for discussions. ____ Established procedures for participation are evident.

After Reading Discussions help students to understand the text in its entirety. Discussions focus on: – main idea – theme – author’s craft – content application

Discussion Question As you watch the next video, consider how the class engages in whole group discussion. Identify the teacher and student behaviors that contributed to a deeper understanding of the text.

Teacher Talk As you watch the last clip, think about the implications for your own best practice.

Putting It Together Read Aloud Shared Reading Guided Reading Independent Reading Literacy skills modeled during read alouds are purposefully practiced in the other components of Balanced Literacy.

Suggested Follow-up PLC Activities Working in your grade level PLC, select a common read aloud text and complete the planning components of a read aloud lesson. At your next grade level PLC share success and/or challenges of your collaboratively planned lesson. Plan another read aloud and repeat this process based on your experiences.

Suggested Follow-Up PLC Activities Using the videos linked from the Curriculum and Instruction website, view another example of a teacher read aloud and use the walkthrough tool to evaluate the lesson. Read a scholarly article about read alouds and use the Last word Protocol to discuss in a small group. Resources are available on the Curriculum and Instruction website.