Meaningful Read Alouds for Vocabulary and Oral Language Comprehension/ Part 1
MIDDLE SCHOOL: Please read this article, then respond to the prompt below. Additionally, here is a resource you might appreciate. :)
EVERYONE: Please share how you can best facilitate a read-aloud in a virtual setting. Reflecting on the State the Purpose; Teach; Ask/Respond steps of read-alouds, how can we as virtual educators facilitate peer discussion in the Ask/Respond step without, , disrupting the flow of the book?
Rebecca Minerd and Monelle Dalamn
By the End of This Course You’ll Be Able To
Describe the relationship between reading aloud to students and listening comprehension, vocabulary, and language skills
Model ability to read aloud to students to enhance critical thinking, personal reflection, empathy and imagination
Develop a plan for read-alouds using the K3 START Read framework and lesson planning sheet
Apply engaging activities that are related to your read-alouds throughout the day
Why It Matters
Meaningful read-alouds provide opportunities for students to use their schema
Meaningful read-alouds increase Tier 2 and Tier 3 vocabulary
Meaningful read-alouds increase listening comprehension
Meaningful read-alouds provide opportunities for students to improve oral and expressive language skills
I am SO excited about this read-aloud strategy! I intend to use this with the Gifted Program’s Jacob’s Ladders that my students are struggling with and not finding enjoyable. I think the best way to incorporate peer discussion without disrupting the flow of the text is to do my read-alouds through and in Curi-Pod! I am SO excited!! :)
ReplyDeleteI haven't used Curipod yet, but I can see how that would be a great extension to add.
DeleteI think the best way to facilitate a read aloud in the virtual setting is through a combination of whole group discussion as well as small group peer discussion in breakout rooms. When reading chapter books to the whole group, I stop frequently to ask them open ended questions, as well as to check for understanding of vocabulary words we encounter while reading. Once I, or a student, has given an age appropriate definition, we continue reading. Once we have completed our reading for the day, I will give 2-3 open ended questions and then put the students in small groups in breakout rooms, to hold peer discussions. Once we all come back together as a whole group, I ask if any groups would like to share their answers to the questions.
ReplyDeleteI like this set up and how you incorporated vocabulary !! Your kids seem very interested and are able to communicate effectively in the breakout rooms.
DeleteMichele, I like the way you sometimes stop at a "cliffhanger" moment during your read alouds. I remember the many times students came from your room to mine in 5th grade and would say things like, "She did it again, she stopped at the good point and it is driving me nuts not knowing what will happen next." or " You won't believe what Mrs. Lofton did today."
DeleteI love asking open ended questions.
DeleteI love read alouds and so do the kids!!! It adds a lot more expression and language depth/breadth to the novel. Last year, I had the opportunity to read "I Survived" books to the class after lunch, and after the novel reading; we would listen to the audio and have peer discussions through quizlet questions!! I would also have peer discussions throughout the novel, and it never seemed to interrupt the flow of the novel, because the kids were excited about the book as it built background knowledge about our existing topics in Social Studies. They also couldn't wait to hear how the characters sounded on the audio!
ReplyDeleteI also like showing a read aloud with a different person reading. The kids enjoy hearing it read differently than just me.
DeleteI enjoy incorporating the social studies content through the I Survived books also. The kids love them and are alwys engaged whenever I read them.
DeleteI love how you read the book to the students and then had them listen to the audio book. That is a fantastic way to foster their love of reading!
DeleteI love the idea of listening to a recording or audio book. I did this a lot when I taught special ed. If it is the official audio book recording, you can also discuss why they might have chosen this person or voice to read their book!
DeleteAudio adds depth to the read aloud. I just want to ensure that we are adding those key questions techniques that increase background knowledge and vocabulary development.
DeleteI absolutely love read-alouds! It is definitely time well spent and enjoyed by the students and myself. I feel being intentional about book choices and front-loading students with a few key vocabulary words is helpful especially the tier 2 & 3 vocabulary words. I tell the students to be detectives and look for the vocabulary words we reviewed. The way I keep the flow of the story going especially in our virtual world, is to only let a few students respond at a time. I call on students by pulling sticks with their name on the sticks. This ensures everyone gets a chance to be included. I will also give the students time to respond in the chat box as well. There will always be students that feel the need to answer every question but I always reminder them to be respectful of others and to give everyone a chance to talk. I do want to start using the break out rooms for peer discussions and will try that when we are back in January.
ReplyDeleteI really like how you use sticks to help call on students to answer. I’d like to start using that or using the “random” button on Dojo to help pick students. Sometimes I feel like I am calling on the same students all the time.
DeleteI like the term "book detectives". Students always love to have a "job" to do and this provides the perfect opportunity!
DeleteI think read alouds are one of the best parts of teaching, and even the older students still loved to be read to. I think modeling the thinking process is one of the best ways to facilitate a read aloud.
ReplyDelete1. Thinking aloud when making /correcting mistakes.
2. Thinking aloud when making connections to text.
3. Thinking aloud when clearing up misconceptions or things we wonder about the text.
When students see teachers model these ideas, it helps to create a safe and comfortable place for students to also wonder and correct mistakes. These think alouds will also help to cultivate discussion for students in groups. Student thinking stems would be a great way for them to practice these ideas.
I agree that students of all ages and grades should be read to! Modeling how to think while reading is also so beneficial for students.
DeletePart of metacognition is "talking to the text" where student learn that to be an active reader means you have to pause to make connections, correct misconceptions, and find the mistakes (especially with new words that we are learning to pronounce). There are TONS of metacognition stems and tricks to help students be more aware while reading.
DeleteYes, think alouds can be truly beneficial for modeling.
DeleteI have done read aloud with middle school students and watched them turn into little kids being totally engaged in the story!
DeleteIn my reading clubs each week, I have one to two books already picked out to read. Since the books are usually seasonal, before I read, we have a discussion about the season and what things we experience during it. I will also point out if the book is by the same author or if it has the same characters as a book we have read a previous week. This is also the time that we play “word games” and do word chains and/or practice phonemic awareness skills. Sometimes we even do a “mystery puzzle”, where as students practice these skills, a little bit of the cover of the book is revealed and they get to guess what book we are reading. Next, I put the book under the document camera and start reading. As I am reading, I will stop to review unfamiliar words so that students can better understand the text, as well as stop at certain points to ask students to make predictions or inferences about the text using the pictures and ask questions to help students make connections to themselves, the world, or another text. To not disrupt the flow of the book too much, I will call on just a few students to share their answer to a question or I will have them type their answer into the chat box. I also try to space out the questions I ask so that we are not having to stop every page. After reading the book(s), we briefly discuss and share our thoughts/opinions, but I also give students time to talk with a small group of peers about the book in a breakout room.
ReplyDeleteYes! Pacing is very important! If you stop too much to ask too many questions, it seems more like a chore than something to enjoy!
DeleteI also love your ideas about games and puzzles. How fun!
I really like the idea of the mystery puzzles! What an engaging way to extend a read aloud!
ReplyDeleteMe, too! What a great idea! :)
DeleteI love reading aloud to my class. I tell my students all the time- sometimes you just need to hear it being said. Not only that- I have started with longer pieces reading paragraph by paragraph and having them work together to summarize or pull out key details. We then use the group summaries and the key details to answer critical thinking questions using CER strategies (claim-evidence-reasoning). It is important to model to students how to reflect in what they are reading. Students get distracted by the reading to answer a questions and not thinking critically about the material to add it to background knowledge to use later- which is my goal in science. Using the START model sounds a lot like being aware of natural pauses to direct students to the connections they should be making. This is much better process than running over details that would actually help foster understanding in the passage. It will take time for me as the teacher to find the natural pauses to ask the background/reflection questions. It can be blended in with the read-aloud with proper planning.
ReplyDeleteI loved this section on read alouds! I have always had a special place in my heart for them. I feel like this is often a great time for us to connect as a class. I model throughout the book and have been using the "START ladder with Safety Nets" without calling it that. The biggest challenge with read alouds virtually is allowing the students to have discussion time with each other while still maintaining the flow of the book and the other students attention. After modeling it many more times, I plan on choosing two students at a time to "think, pair, share" while they are still in the class and not in a break out room. Once the students are successful with this we will start using the break out rooms.
ReplyDeleteI love read alouds! I think read alouds are so important in the classroom and incorporate them often in my skills classroom. Read alouds are such a great way to encourage class participation while sharing background knowledge and bringing experiences into the discussion to contribute to what we are learning! I love hearing the conversations that are started and shared with the students when there is opportunities through read alouds. My kids do a great job at staying on topic and discussing as we read. I have never thought of using curipod like others suggested for read alouds but I do think that would be a great way to get to do a class discussion and will be trying it in the future!
ReplyDeleteCheck my post out--there is a snippet of how to use picture books with Curipod. I think it is great because other students don't know who said what and the discussion can be elaborated on if the teacher wants.
DeleteI think read alouds are such an important part of learning to read and enjoying books--even in middle school! It is so important to hear a fluent reader and takes some of the pressure off reading itself. Students can focus more on comprehension while also hearing the fluency of a proficient reader. One thing the article mentioned was using read alouds to discuss diversity and stereotypes in our culture. Choosing books that represent people unlike us is a great way to foster safe and appropriate conversations about topics that can sometimes be uncomfortable.
ReplyDeleteLisa does a great job with reading aloud to our middle school students and I know some of them really look forward to that time. In middle school specifically, I think curipods, the chat box, and even things like collaboration boards are a great way to facilitate classroom discussions.
I am so interested in your thoughts and comments on this. In reading the article, I was a bit hesitant, there's so much in regards to diversity and etc. that I always shy away from due to parent concerns, divisive legislation, etc. I would love to know how others are handling it. I love the idea of using it to address stereotypes. These could both be such important topics, I know in every class, but really, really important in social studies as we delve into studying the cultures of the world.
DeleteLisa does the best job I have ever seen with MS read alouds. She sees the true value in it.
DeleteI LOVE to read aloud with students of all ages for so many reasons. This form of shared reading helps build class relationships and gives students a shared experience that can be built upon and used when connecting to other text, especially when discussing characters, theme, and plot development. One thing that I also do is allow students to doodle when I read and at the elementary level many students love to draw a picture of what they were hearing. As they shared their drawing, I was able to ask questions without interrupting the flow of the story. With middle school, I will often read the chapter but then circle back to a particular paragraph, sentence, or dialogue and ask my question then. I have also been thinking of ways to use Book Creator for my read alouds beginning in January .One thought includes two pages for each character so they can add character traits and thoughts about the characters as they develop sort of as a vision board. I can also push out great sentences as mentor sentences for writing practice, ask questions, and also have them rename or name the chapter that I read as a way to build summarizing skills. I would love to hear other thoughts about possible additions for a read aloud journal.
ReplyDeleteReading your thoughts on book creator have me wondering if you'd looked at Novel Effect. I'm not sure, it may be more elementary based... but I always thought Book Creator was too until I fell in love with it and started using it here at Empower. It might be another tool to really engage students growing a life-long love of reading.
DeleteLisa, you are excellent at this which is often challenging for middle school teachers.
DeleteThis is definitely my favorite blog response so far! I LOVE this! I love reading, I love to encourage reading, and well... I love to hear the sound of my own voice, too! One of my favorite, most vivid memories of school is my 2nd grade teacher reading James and the Giant Peach aloud to us, and some of my most treasured memories of home were my bedtime stories. I wish teachers had kept reading aloud to me. Honestly, I did alot more read alouds when I taught 7th ELA. I read the "Tell-Tale Heart" to a rapt classroom at Halloween and they always enjoyed when I read Shel Silverstein. Like so much else, I find myself sacrificing this time in my classroom because I think like so many of the author's colleagues, that I don't have time. After reading this article and everyone's responses, I am going to make sure I MAKE more time in the new year. I do always read "Hiroshima, no Pika" when we get to World War II, but that's not nearly enough, and the short readings of class materials and supplements I do might encourage academic growth, but I doubt they encourage a love of reading in many. I really want to make it a New Year's resolution to find engaging supplemental materials for more of my units. Not only would the students enjoy it, but I think it would definitely be a highlight of my own day!
ReplyDeleteI, too, have memories of my teachers reading aloud to me. I will search for some short read alouds for science. Even if it a chapter or part of a book, it is better than nothing, right?
DeleteI am planning for my Friday class to be a podcast workshop. While pondering what topics we cover I was working on this part of the literacy training. I talked myself out of all of choices spinning in my head and decided, what better way to reinforce our literacy goals-we will be reading books on our podcasts! The podcasts will be written and produced by our students and published for our families to listen to on-demand. My hope is that students will ask to listen to their favorites, siblings will listen, parents will ask their children questions, etc. Get them involved and excited.
ReplyDeleteReading Rainbow is coming to mind! I love this idea, Annie.
DeleteGreat idea Annie. Thank you for ALWAYS thinking "outside the box."
DeleteI think this is PERFECT!
DeleteWARNING, for those who know I'm not the biggest fan of reading(yes, not all teachers like to read), do not have a heart attack when I say i LOVE reading aloud to my students. YES, I love reading when it comes to reading aloud. I'm pretty sure it is because it brings the acting out in me! One thing I learned at Curicon is that Curipod is conducive for discussions in read aloud because you can give a certain amount of time to have them put something on the discussion board. What's even better is that it gives those who normally don't share their opinions the chance to anonymously have input. Here is part of the presentation at Curicon about Integrating Curipod with Picture Books. It's not exactly about discussions during the read aloud, but you can see how you can adapt it to be a part of a read aloud session. https://www.youtube.com/live/LC-sfbZTUVk?si=buByuSV7L5edmHuI&t=876
ReplyDeleteI LOVE read alouds, but if I'm being perfectly honest, I don't feel that I've done this as well virtually. I am so excited to pull this into my classes more and more as I do believe it is a vital part of reading instruction. I like Novel Effect, though I wish it were still free! I also seem to remember that they use to allow you a way to use it with any book? Maybe that's just a hallucination, but the kids love it when I use it as well! I am curious about Curipod! Thanks for sharing that, Beth!
ReplyDeleteThis year I have added read alouds to my lesson plans. When we had the Empower library event last Fall I choose a few books that would incorporate some level 2 & 3 vocabulary words that are specific to my standards.
ReplyDeleteI took pictures of each page and recorded myself reading in CANVA.
I will be starting our first book for 4th & 5th grade next month and I am excited to see how this will enhance my lessons on sportsmanship.