Read to Me

by Suzanne, the storyteller

I love to read aloud.  Maybe it was all the UIL Prose and Poetry.  I love to get into the psyche of the character.  I love to deliver a line with perfect timing to produce a comedic effect.  Sometimes I surprise myself with accents I make up on the fly.

And have you noticed that students love to listen?  I've had groups at every age level that regress to criss-cross applesauce at the first crack of the cover.  

So lets review: I love to read + Students love to be read to = Match made in heaven

Yes but...it's important for students to read aloud too.  Reading out loud develops reading fluency.  I firmly believe that that inner reading voice is what messes up comprehension for many students.  They rate is slow; they stumble over low-frequency words; they do not sense how the punctuation should affect their speech.  I'd be bored too!

This Wednesday is World Read Aloud Day.  You can check out fabulous resources for this day here.  You can find community partners that will pledge a certain amount for each page or section of time that students read.  There is also an excellent list of thematically-linked texts for different grade levels.  There are even certificates to recognize student participation.  I wish that I had put more time into planning our activities for the day, but with it now being my testing month, I'll cut myself some slack.  Thank goodness there's always next year!

So what are we doing to celebrate?  Last week, I had students choose a picture book from the library.  It was so fun to watch them find old favorites.  This week we are practicing our books daily.  We are focusing on how to read specific vocabulary, punctuation, and humor.  Students are going to create prediction questions that fit at different points in their story.  We are going to share our stories with younger grades.  I chose classes with siblings of my students to make this experience extra special.

Another idea could be to have students practice reading their book.  After much rehearsal, have students record them reading and post it on YouTube or a similar sight.  I really like how this can incorporate the "world" aspect because students from all over the world can share in our story.

How will you share your story?