This article deals with methods not just for reading aloud in class but for making read alouds more productive educational opportunities. The article deals with young students' tendency to respond to teacher-generated questions about read-aloud text based on pictures and background knowledge rather than by analyzing text content. They suggest waiting to show students pictures until they have answered questions based on text material and redirecting students from using background knowledge by asking specifically what the book tells us about the question. They also suggest some, i think, very engaging methods for approaching vocabulary instruction based on read alouds.
Chapter 4 goes hand-in-hand with the article, suggesting strategies for read alouds for specific content areas in older grades. The text says using read louds to motivate older students is an often overlooked method, but can be effective. The tet advises ensuring you have selected an appropriate selection, good planning involving questioning and engaging students and methods like shared reading.
How do you balance students' useful background knowledge on text topics with their desire to "rabbit chase" and take background knowledge in other directions or let it overshadow the information they are getting from the text?
How do you make read alouds interesting for older students when using trade/expository texts?
Hi Kelley, I honed in on your comment, "making read alouds more productive educational opportunities" b/c I think that's the heart of the article. It's common, again as you write, "young students' tendency to respond to teacher-generated questions about read-aloud text based on pictures and background knowledge rather than by analyzing text content" can become a habitualized way of engaging with texts. I don't think it's wise to always wait to show pictures--sometimes picture walks are great ways to get thinking started--but I do like that they want kids to link thinking directly with text. Text-based evidence is a buzz phrase if you haven't heard it yet. As for your Q regarding making read alouds for older texts, I can honestly say I've never experienced a time when I was excited about a read aloud that my students, even adults, didn't also engage with the text. If it's dull to me, it's likely to be dull to my students, so I pick ones I get excited about. Nice post. Dr B
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