by Shelley | English/Language Arts, Novel Studies
As an upper elementary school teacher, you are always looking for ways to improve your students’ reading skills and foster a love of reading. One way to do this is to implement a read-aloud time in your classroom. Read-aloud time is an opportunity for students to listen to their teacher read a book out loud, improving their vocabulary, comprehension, and reading fluency. Read-aloud time can be a powerful tool for building literacy skills.
How to implement read-aloud time in an upper elementary classroom.
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Choose the Right Book:
Choosing the right book is essential for a successful read-aloud time. You want to choose a book that is appropriate for your students’ reading level, interests, and age group. Consider using books that are relevant to the curriculum or books that are part of a series as a hook so that students may choose to continue with the series on their own.
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Create a Routine:
Set a schedule for your read-aloud time, and make sure your students know when it is. This can be a daily or weekly activity, and it should be consistent. This will help your students develop a routine and get excited about read-aloud time. For my classroom, we’d read a chapter every day after lunch recess to help transition from the chaos of lunch and recess to the classroom.
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Create a Reading Environment:
Creating a reading environment can help your students get into the right mindset for read-aloud time. This can include dimming the lights and/or using a special reading area. This doesn’t have to be expensive or fancy. In my classroom, I had a living room chair I found for $20 at a garage sale, a square of carpet that I bought fairly cheap at Lowes, and a couple of cheap bean bag chairs. The kids were allowed to stay at their desks or lounge in the carpeted area. We had a revolving schedule for bean bag privileges.
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Engage Your Students:
Engaging your students during read-aloud time is crucial for building literacy skills and comprehension. You can do this by asking open-ended questions, encouraging discussion, and having students predict what will happen next in the story. Don’t forget to laugh with them during the humourous parts too! Students LOVE to laugh with you!
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Follow-Up Activities:
This part is optional based on your objectives for this time. For me, I just wanted a time of freedom to just love reading, so other than the discussion we had as we read, I didn’t follow up with any activities or assessments. You might feel like you need more so you can follow up with activities after read-aloud time that can reinforce the concepts and vocabulary introduced during the reading. This can include writing prompts, vocabulary quizzes, or even arts and crafts activities related to the story.
Read-aloud time is an important part of an upper elementary classroom’s literacy program to improve your students’ reading skills. By choosing the right book, establishing a routine, creating a comfortable reading environment, engaging your students, and providing follow-up activities, you can make read-aloud time an effective and enjoyable experience for your students.
Are you interested in reading about and sharing ideas with other educators on using children’s literature in your classroom? My goal is to bring together teachers and homeschoolers who teach grades 3-8 and use novels with their students. I’d love for you to join me to learn, share, and grow together!
Click here or the image below to join my Facebook group, Book Talk with The Teaching Bank!
*The Teaching Bank participates in the Amazon Associate Program and earns a fee from qualifying purchases made on the Amazon.com site.
by Shelley | English/Language Arts, Novel Studies
As children grow older, their reading skills progress, and they may become more independent in their reading habits. However, research shows that reading aloud to older elementary and middle school students has numerous benefits that can positively impact their academic and personal lives.
What are the benefits of adding read-aloud for upper elementary and middle school students?
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Improves Listening Skills:
Reading aloud to older children helps improve their listening skills. When students listen to a book, they have to focus on the speaker’s tone, pronunciation, and rhythm. It can help students to pay attention to details, build their vocabulary, and develop their ability to understand more complex sentence structures.
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Vocabulary and Language Development:
One of the most obvious benefits of reading aloud to older children is that it can help to expand their vocabulary and improve their language skills. By reading books that are slightly above their reading level, you can introduce them to new words and phrases that they might not encounter otherwise. This can help them to become more confident and articulate in their own language, which can be beneficial in a variety of academic and social situations.
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Enhances Reading Comprehension:
Reading aloud to older children can also help to improve their comprehension and critical thinking skills. When students hear a text read aloud, they can visualize the plot, characters, and settings more easily. It can help students understand the plot’s nuances and themes, which can deepen their understanding of the story. By asking questions about the text, you can encourage them to think deeply about what they are reading and to draw their own conclusions. This can help them to become more analytical and independent thinkers, which can be valuable both in and out of the classroom.
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Promotes Critical Thinking:
Reading aloud can promote critical thinking. When students listen to a text read aloud, they can analyze the author’s message and purpose, make inferences, and draw conclusions. This can help students to develop their analytical and critical thinking skills, which are essential for success in school and beyond. By asking questions about the text, you can encourage them to think deeply about what they are reading and to draw their own conclusions. This can help them to become more analytical and independent thinkers, which can be valuable both in and out of the classroom.
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Builds a Love for Reading:
Reading aloud can foster a love for reading. As students grow older, they may become more self-conscious about their reading abilities, which can lead to a lack of confidence and motivation. By reading aloud to older students, educators and parents can help create a positive and enjoyable reading experience that can spark a love for reading that will last a lifetime.
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Emotional and Social Development:
Reading aloud to older children can also have a positive impact on their emotional and social development. By sharing stories and characters with them, you can help them to develop empathy and compassion for others. This can be especially important during the middle school years when children are often navigating complex social dynamics and trying to figure out their place in the world.
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Bonding and Connection:
Reading aloud to older children can be a wonderful way to bond with your class and foster a sense of community. When students listen to a text read aloud, they can share their thoughts and opinions with their peers. This can create a collaborative learning environment where students can learn from one another and build stronger relationships with their classmates.
Reading aloud to upper elementary and middle school students has numerous benefits that can positively impact their academic and personal lives. It improves listening skills, enhances reading comprehension, builds a love for reading, promotes critical thinking, and fosters a sense of community. As educators and parents, we should continue to prioritize reading aloud to our children, even as they grow older, to ensure they have the necessary skills and love for learning to succeed in school and beyond.
Are you interested in reading about and sharing ideas with other educators on using children’s literature in your classroom? My goal is to bring together teachers and homeschoolers who teach grades 3-8 and use novels with their students. I’d love for you to join me to learn, share, and grow together!
Click here or the image below to join my Facebook group, Book Talk with The Teaching Bank!
*The Teaching Bank participates in the Amazon Associate Program and earns a fee from qualifying purchases made on the Amazon.com site.
