Reading to Children: The Importance of a Read Aloud
Reading to children is the one of the best reading comprehension interventions. Here are the facts about why every teacher needs to do an interactive read aloud every day.
Reading to children is one of the only ways teachers and parents can begin to bridge the language gap created by poverty. It is a necessary component of reading comprehension interventions. This is the reality of teaching reading in the 21st century. Why Do an Interactive Read Aloud?Reading quality books to kids allows them to access "rare" words that don't occur in ordinary conversation. Children who never get the opportunity to hear these words are most likely to permanently struggle with reading.Plan to read aloud at least 3-4 times per day to your class. Research has shown that a read aloud is the single most important activity for building the knowledge required for eventual success in reading. A long-term study, published in the spring of 2000, proves this. A U.S. Department of Education analysis found that children who were read to at least three times a week by a family member were almost twice as likely to score in the top 25% in reading than children who were read to less than three times a week. There are many other benefits of reading to children that parents and educators may not realize. Some teachers and parents may feel that an interactive read aloud is not as important once the kids are older. Not so. There is a bonding element that occurs when you sit with your child and read together. My oldest son still asks for a story at night time, and he can certainly read by himself (he is almost 10). Listen to Liam and Colin tell you why they love read aloud time with me. Click on each avatar to hear what they have to say about it.
Caution: If your students are not used to read alouds, don't start with chapter books! You will need to build their attention span and listening skills slowly. Start with very short books that provide opportunities for students to be actively engaged in it (like Eric Carl's book Today Is Monday You could then move on to reading a week's worth of books by the same author, picture books with related themes (Cinderella theme coming soon), then move into short chapter books that have great hooks and leave them wanting more. This is the best way to begin reading aloud in the classroom.
Return to Top: Reading To Children
|
or 
by Arlene Mosel).
