Monday, February 18, 2013

Values of Read-Aloud

      I decided to write this post about Read-Aloud to share with you some key points I have learned about reading aloud to children. Reading aloud is so important for children and I will give some of the reasons why and how children benefit from the simple act of being read to aloud. I hope you will gain some new insights into Read-Aloud and will develop an interest for learning more about it and find new ways to incorporate it into your life. 
  
Reading is by far the best interactive activity you can do with a child. I can remember being read to as a child by most of my teachers in school and I really enjoyed hearing and learning about new topics, characters, and adventures that took place. All of my classrooms were filled with lots of children's books of many genres and topics. My fondest memories of reading came from my mom. We would take trips to the library and I would pick a few books of my choice to take home to read and enjoy. At night before bedtime, my mom would snuggle up beside me in the bed and read a book or 2, if I begged her enough, to me. I can remember her reading with great enthusiasm and I would join her in reading sometimes if I knew the parts of the book. I did not realize then how much influence these precious moments would have on my reading skills and passion for reading in the future. I LOVE to read and now I have the pleasure of passing on the tradition of reading aloud to my own daughter at bedtime and she loves to read along and Read-Aloud with me!
What is Read-Aloud?
When the term Read-Aloud was first introduced to me I thought it was kind of cliche. But now that I have researched it more I believe that Read-Aloud is actually under-used and under-represented. Read-Aloud is, in fact, exactly what it says - you read aloud to a child or children. The ReadAloud website states that parents give their children a better advantage in literacy skills, language, and school preparation by using the reading aloud strategy daily. This website also encourages families to read aloud together and parents to read to their children daily. This may sound very basic and simple, but it has been proven to be the single most important tool for children's reading development. Research and experts have proven that reading aloud daily to children will help them succeed in school.
What books to Read-Aloud?
Now that you know what Read-Aloud is all about, let me share some books to get you started on your Read-Aloud journey. You can never go wrong with picture books for children. Picture books give a story its foundation and are essential for telling the story and providing a great detail of meaning for each page in the book. Choose books that children will enjoy and will be interesting in learning about and listening to while you read. NOTE: Both fiction and non-fiction texts are acceptable for children of all ages.
Beginner Books (age 0-5)  - This includes ABC books, 123 books, Concept books, Wordless books, Nursery Rhyme books, and Predictable & Pattern books.
  • Bye-bye Crib by Alison McGhee
  • Petunia by Roger Devoisin
  • Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You See? by Eric Carle* <---1 of my favorite authors
  • Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. & John Archambault
  • If You Give A Mouse A Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff
  • Pete the Cat series by Eric Litwin
Younger Reader Picture Books (age 5-8)
  • The Hello, Goodbye Window by Norton Juster
  • The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
  • The Boy Who Loved Words by Roni Schotter & Giselle Potter
  • You Read To Me, I'll Read To You series by Mary Ann Hoberman
  • Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
  • The Pepins and Their Problems by Polly Horvath & Marylin Hafner
Older Reader Picture Books (age 7-10)
  • Up the Learning Tree by Marcia Vaughan 
  • Owen Foote series by Stephanie Greene
  • Finding Family by Tonya Bolden
  • Horrible Harry and the The Terrible Revenge by Suzy Kline
  • Are You There God, It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume
Why read-aloud?
Children have a natural desire to read and write. They are already enthusiastic about learning so imagine if you have just as much excitement about reading as they do, what a Read-Aloud session would be like for you both. Read-Aloud encourages children to ask questions, creates and builds background knowledge, helps to improve their language and vocabulary, and sparks their inner passions and curiosities. Reading connects children to the world around them and makes them an important aspect of society.
Jim Trelease states in his book "Reading aloud is the catalyst for the child wanting to read on his own, but is also provides a foundation by nurturing the child's listening comprehension." 

When to read-aloud? Where to read-aloud? 
If you are wondering when to start a read-aloud with your child, then you've probably wasted so much valuable time already! It is suggested to begin reading to children as early as possible and as often as possible to encourage their curiosity and desire for reading. The sooner you begin reading to children the easier it will be for them and the better their reading comprehension will become. Also, setting aside time daily to read aloud will allow for consistency and routine for the child, and they will look forward to Read-Aloud each and every day, which increases their
Who's involved in read-aloud? 
Parents, family members, teachers, baby-sitters, librarians, children, ANYONE!  The great joy of Read-Aloud is that it involves everyone in the child's life - the limits are endless! 
 
How to begin read-aloud?  
There is no wrong or right way to read-aloud, but there are certain ways to gain and keep the child's attention and make it entertaining that are important. When you begin to read-aloud with a child, make sure to introduce the book and the pictures of the book (a picture walk) and ask questions that are engaging such as, "What do you think this book is about?". Read with enthusiasm, use lots of expressions and don't be afraid to change use vocal varieties. Use your voice to tell the story and to express the words on each page; make the characters come to life through your Read-Aloud experience.

Here are some tips from the Read Aloud America website that will help you get started.
Also, on her website, Mem Fox includes 10 read-aloud commandments that are HIGHLY recommended for successful Read-Aloud instruction. To view them click here.
Fox, M. (2001). Reading magic: Why reading aloud to our children will change their lives forever. San Diego, CA: Harcourt.

Trelease, J. (2006). The read-aloud handbook. (6th ed.). New York, NY: Penguin Group.

Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)