As a teacher, read-aloud time is so important. I don't use it like I did when I first started teaching years (YEARS) ago. Now it is an essential part of my Reader's Workshop, and it's wonderful for teaching so many things.
Today we started HOW TO STEAL A DOG by Barbara O' Connor.
I reread this book this past summer with intentions of searching for a good read-aloud for the year. This summer I thought a lot about this. After all, a read-aloud has to do so many things:
1.) It should be an example of great writing.
2.) It should be engaging and exciting.
3.) It should have characters the students will believe in!
4.) It should have the potential to provoke rich discussions!
I find that I don't use the same read-alouds every year. So many new and good books are being published! And if a book is new or one I've not read-aloud several times, then maybe I won't influence my students with my own thinking of the book. No matter how old the book is, if it meets the above requirements, I will choose it.
(I've also read this in my professional development books.)
We are only in the first 12 pages of the book, but my students are noticing the wonderful phrases, commenting on Luanne and Georgina's friendship, and wondering about everything else, too. I know that this shared experience with a common text will serve us well for future connections & conversations. After reading aloud from THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN, my students still connect & compare events & elements to current topics. It is evident that that each student has held on to a part of the book for future learning. Read-alouds have such potential to teach story elements & model thinking. What are your favorite chapter book read-alouds?
Today we started HOW TO STEAL A DOG by Barbara O' Connor.
I reread this book this past summer with intentions of searching for a good read-aloud for the year. This summer I thought a lot about this. After all, a read-aloud has to do so many things:
1.) It should be an example of great writing.
2.) It should be engaging and exciting.
3.) It should have characters the students will believe in!
4.) It should have the potential to provoke rich discussions!
I find that I don't use the same read-alouds every year. So many new and good books are being published! And if a book is new or one I've not read-aloud several times, then maybe I won't influence my students with my own thinking of the book. No matter how old the book is, if it meets the above requirements, I will choose it.
(I've also read this in my professional development books.)
We are only in the first 12 pages of the book, but my students are noticing the wonderful phrases, commenting on Luanne and Georgina's friendship, and wondering about everything else, too. I know that this shared experience with a common text will serve us well for future connections & conversations. After reading aloud from THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN, my students still connect & compare events & elements to current topics. It is evident that that each student has held on to a part of the book for future learning. Read-alouds have such potential to teach story elements & model thinking. What are your favorite chapter book read-alouds?
We just started "Sammy Keyes and the Hotel Thief" and my kids are hooked! We're only on chapter 3, and I already have kiddos asking if they can borrow my other Sammy Keyes books. I too choose books for our chapter book read alouds that I have never read. It feels so much more genuine when we are both reading the books for the first time!
ReplyDeleteI'll be doing The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe with my 5th grade reading group soon - classic and powerful.
ReplyDelete~ Michael<><
The Color of Sound
@mgdobishinsky
I love that you change up your read alouds each year to keep them fresh. I always did that. There were some books I had to read because they were beloved and would help create the classroom culture I wanted while others were cycled from year to year.
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