Some of my favorite childhood memories were the times my mother and I would go to the Chicago Public Library at North and California Avenues. Together we would browse the shelves and choose special books to bring home. Some of my favorite titles were those from the
Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle series by Betty MacDonald. The stories starred a small lady who lived in
an “up-side-down” house in a lively neighborhood inhabited by children
with bad habits. I adored the MacDonald's series and I loved the hours my mother and I spent engrossed in magical
tales! I've tried to pass on my mothers joy of reading with my own children, grandkids, and the many students I've taught over the years. Spending quality time reading together is priceless. I’m sure many of you have similar memories and favorite books that were part of your childhood experiences!
Now that you have your own classroom, you'll want read-alouds to be an integral part of the school day. Set aside 15-20 minutes everyday to share
reading as a means to build community, to expose children to new books, authors,
and genres, plus to remind children why they love reading. Read books to your students that you absolutely love as your enthusiasm will be contagious! Respected educator Lucy Calkins, in her book Raising Lifelong Learners; A Parent’s Guide shares, "that when reading aloud with children, it is the time to go under the 'spell' of a beautiful book
and laugh, cry, and get lost in the flow of the story and language".
Reading aloud to children in classrooms is a sure-fire, researched based way to motivate children to read on their own. The International Reading Association states, “the importance of reading aloud to children on a daily basis can’t be overestimated. The U.S. Department of Education Commission on Reading took into account over 10,000 studies and found that the most important activity for building the skills and background for eventual success in reading is reading aloud to children.” It’s been shown that children who are read-to are the best readers in the classroom, have large vocabularies, write well, and do better in other subjects as well. With all this evidence, why wouldn’t every teacher do read-aloud on a daily basis?
Reading aloud to children in classrooms is a sure-fire, researched based way to motivate children to read on their own. The International Reading Association states, “the importance of reading aloud to children on a daily basis can’t be overestimated. The U.S. Department of Education Commission on Reading took into account over 10,000 studies and found that the most important activity for building the skills and background for eventual success in reading is reading aloud to children.” It’s been shown that children who are read-to are the best readers in the classroom, have large vocabularies, write well, and do better in other subjects as well. With all this evidence, why wouldn’t every teacher do read-aloud on a daily basis?
Reading aloud isn’t just for the primary and intermediate grades; it's an ideal strategy for middle school,
too. And remember there are many content area books that support math, science, and social studies.
Plan your shared reading like you would any other subject. Post it on your daily schedule, write the current title into your lesson plan book, and make read-alouds a dedicated event each day. If testing, assemblies, or other activities infringe on class time, always keep the daily read-aloud session on the schedule; it's well worth the time!
Featuring One of Our Own: A Classroom Tour...
Natalie VandenBos welcomes you to her 3rd grade classroom at District 33's Indian Knoll Elementary School in West Chicago, Illinois!
Plan your shared reading like you would any other subject. Post it on your daily schedule, write the current title into your lesson plan book, and make read-alouds a dedicated event each day. If testing, assemblies, or other activities infringe on class time, always keep the daily read-aloud session on the schedule; it's well worth the time!
You are never too old, too wacky, too wild to pick up a book and read to a child. -Dr. Seuss
Natalie VandenBos welcomes you to her 3rd grade classroom at District 33's Indian Knoll Elementary School in West Chicago, Illinois!
