Rediscovering Read Aloud: How Elementary

Teachers Choose and Use Read-Alouds

Jennifer LewisEDIT 7320

Summer 2009

WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE READ-ALOUD

IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL?

How This Topic Chose Me

• Read-aloud is often a favorite part of the day.

• I’ve never learned HOW to read-aloud.• Students must score in “meets” or

“exceeds” on CRCT. • Read-alouds must be effective in teaching

reading. • I hope to learn how to choose books and

how to use them effectively in read-alouds.

Reasons for Reading Aloud• to introduce students

to the joy of reading• to develop vocabulary• to model fluency• to make difficult texts

more accessible• to help students

experience the text the way the teacher does• if planned carefully, to boost comprehension

What Teachers Read Aloud

• Read-alouds are overwhelmingly narrative. 77% of read-alouds at home and school were narrative and only 7% were informational.

(Yopp & Yopp)• Intermediate teachers did not often read picture books to their

students. • Informational literature was used

only three out of ten days. (Jacobs, Morrison, & Swinyard) • Teachers favor easy and predictable books. (McGee &

Schickedanz)

Reading Aloud Effectively

• Interactive read-alouds include "Opening up the conversation,"

"Ongoing interaction," "Response and balancing talk and text," and

"Engaging with strategy demonstrations.“ (Barrentine)• Fisher, Flood, Lapp, & Frey

identified seven common components of interactive read-

alouds.• Repeated interactive read-alouds

are beneficial. (McGee & Schickedanz)

• Three methods of reading aloud are dialogic reading, Text Talk, and print referencing. (Lane & Wright)

Read-Aloud Cons

Meyer, Wardrop, Stahl, and Linn (1994) found a

negative relationship between read-aloud

time and reading achievement.

BUTWhat effect does read-aloud have on reading

motivation? and Did the teachers in the study use read-aloud to teach reading skills?

Rediscovering Read-Aloud: How Elementary Teachers

Choose and Use Read-Alouds

Choosing Read-Aloud Material

• Consider instructional goals. • Consider high-interest

nonfiction with rich vocabulary. • Consider “conceptually

challenging” books.• Consider topic, audience,

length, cost, diversity, coherence, connections to

curriculum.

Reasons for Reading Aloud

• to introduce students to the joy of reading

• to develop vocabulary• to model fluency• to make difficult texts

more accessible• to help students

experience the text the way the teacher does

• if planned carefully, to boost comprehension

My Favorite Quote

• “Incorporating comprehension instruction and read-alouds appears to be a promising way to boost student comprehension. There are certainly times when read-alouds can simply focus on the enjoyment of books; however, read-alouds must be carefully planned if they are to affect students' comprehension. Making the very most of read-aloud time requires teaching students to recognize the differences between narrative and information text structure, to know the meanings of target vocabulary, and to become active participants in purposeful discussions about texts.” (Santoro, Chard, Howard, & Baker, 2008)

Another Good One

• "When you read silently, you do whatever it takes to create an understanding of the text. You ask yourself questions, hypothesize and predict, make connections to what you already know and to what you have read, relate the information to personal experiences, and keep a check on whether or not you truly understand as you read. Engaging students in these processes with you as you read to them not only helps them think about the text but also tips them off to how they can read more thoughtfully on their own." (Ivey, 2003)

What Teachers Read Aloud• Read-alouds are

overwhelmingly narrative. 77% of read-alouds at home and school were narrative and only 7% were informational. (Yopp & Yopp)

• Intermediate teachers did not often read picture books to their students.

• Informational literature was used only three out of ten days. (Jacobs, Morrison, & Swinyard)

• Teachers favor easy and predictable books. (McGee & Schickedanz)

Choosing Read-Aloud Material

• Consider instructional goals.

• Consider high-interest nonfiction with rich vocabulary.

• Consider “conceptually challenging” books.

• Consider topic, audience, length, cost, diversity, coherence, connections to curriculum.

Reading Aloud Effectively

• Interactive read-alouds include "Opening up the conversation," "Ongoing interaction," "Response and balancing talk and text," and "Engaging with strategy demonstrations.“ (Barrentine)

• Fisher, Flood, Lapp, & Frey identified seven common components of interactive read-alouds.

• Repeated interactive read-alouds are beneficial. (McGee & Schickedanz)

• Three methods of reading aloud are dialogic reading, Text Talk, and print referencing. (Lane & Wright)

More About Dialogic Reading, Text Talk, and Print Referencing

• "According to Whitehurst et al. (1988), as parents or teachers begin using dialogic reading, the emphasis should be on asking 'what' questions, following answers with questions, repeating what the child says, and providing help and praise. As the read-aloud interactions become more sophisticated, specific types of prompts are implemented." (Lane & Wright, 2007)

“Text Talk focuses on a specific way to use the six main components of a read-aloud: selection of texts, initial questions, follow-up questions, pictures, background knowledge, and vocabulary.” (Beck & McKeown, 2001)

"The purpose of print referencing is to increase the metalinguistic focus of reading aloud, thereby increasing print interest. With increased print interest, 'children come to view written language as an object distinctly worthy of attention' (Justice & Ezell, 2004, p. 186)." (Lane & Wright, 2007)

Read-Aloud Cons

• Meyer, Wardrop, Stahl, and Linn (1994) found a negative relationship between read-aloud time and reading achievement.

BUT• What effect does read-aloud have on

reading motivation? AND• Did the teachers in the study use read-aloud to teach reading skills?

Unanswered Questions

• Do teachers at my school read aloud?• If so, what are they reading and how do

they choose books?• Do they use read-aloud as a filler or to

teach reading?• What read-aloud styles do different

teachers have?• Can teachers learn techniques for more

effective read-alouds?

References

• Please see the complete list of references at http://articlenotes.wikispaces.com/