The Power of the Read Aloud

This isn't news. You have all heard this before, but as I sit here thinking of a topic to write about- reading out loud to my students stands out.

As a student teacher, my cooperating teacher loved to read picture books to her students. And she was good at it.. the inflection and the voices. When she read, the books came to life. Her students' eyes fixed on her as she moved through the pages. Often the books went with some lesson, but sometimes the reading was for pure enjoyment. She made reading to her students a priority. In doing so, she introduced me to many of the books I continue to read aloud today. Reading to my students is and always will be a priority.

Now, my love of Read Alouds actually goes much farther back than 2005. I really fell in love with the Read Aloud in 5th grade. You see, I was not a strong reader, and I would even go as far as saying I hated to read. BUT each day in fifth grade my teacher read a couple chapters of a book to us after lunch. Now as a teacher, the thought of taking twenty-ish minutes to read to students in fifth grade might sound insane. What was she thinking? There are tests to prep for, and standards to get in. What was the purpose of reading to us each day? As one of her students, this is what I remember most. It was my favorite time of the day. So, a student who hated reading looked forward to the read aloud each and every day. This was almost the only time I would get to know some of those stories. It planted a tiny seed, and although I didn't instantly love to read, that seed grew. I know those students still exist.

Today, I read everyday to my class. We are currently reading The Wild Robot by Peter Brown.  It was chosen as one of the books for the Global Read Aloud this year. I knew it would be a hit with my students, and I was right. They never want me to stop, and it was inspired some of my reluctant writers to write blog post about Roz, the robot. The text is a bit above grade level, so listening to it is the only access some of my students would ever have to this text. Not to sound cheesy, but a read aloud is a gift to those students who otherwise could not read the book.

SO read the books out loud... plant the seeds... watch them grow...