Reading aloud to students has many positive benefits – not only for literacy development but also for building classroom community. One of the best ideas I have found for incorporating more opportunities to read aloud is called #classroombookaday, created by Jillian Heise. Read Jillian’s post about getting started here.
I decided to try out Jillian’s idea this year since I love reading aloud to my classes. My students always say that it is one of their favorite parts of the day. Using picture books also intrigued me, since many teachers stop reading picture books past the early grades. So many picture books have complex themes and topics, yet the illustrations make them seem more accessible to kids. I thought that if Jillian had such great success with her middle schoolers, this would be a good thing for my fifth graders. And that has proven to be true!
Every day, I start our day with a favorite picture book. It helps to read the book in advance so that you can put extra expression or drama into certain parts and so that you can keep certain pictures hidden to build suspense. The picture books I have used so far include several books about growth mindset and being kind, but we will read many books this year. Follow me on Instagram to see the daily book title I am sharing with my class.
Reading aloud has been, without a doubt, the single most important thing I have done in classrooms. Reading aloud to students, especially if you have just met them, helps connect and build a “bond” with the students. It is important to do when you first meet students, at your very first class session with them, and then every day after that. In fact, on the rare occasions when I thought I didn’t have time for reading aloud, my students have always complained and somehow our class time did not go as well as planned. Somehow, this time together sets the tone for our work of the day and ends up giving us more productive time together. Reading aloud brings us together, it helps us relax and focus. I have wondered if any studies are showing that being read has the same effects as meditation?
Besides the social-emotional benefits, the literacy benefits of reading aloud are too strong to ignore. Many studies are showing that students (of any age) score higher on standardized tests. They are better readers and writers, with stronger vocabularies. The benefits are even greater when students have opportunities to talk to others about the read-aloud (through turn & talk or other small group or partner sharing).
Teachers often say that they don’t have the time to read aloud. I get that. The school day is jam-packed and districts often dictate exactly how many minutes are to be devoted to literacy lessons, word study, etc. But try to find just five minutes and see what happens in your classroom. Even if you read for a couple of minutes at the beginning of the class and a few minutes at the end, it’s better than nothing and your students will still benefit.
Other texts to read aloud, besides picture books and novels: news articles, the daily Wonder from Wonderopolis, book reviews, information from author websites. Be creative! What texts will give your students the background knowledge and information they need?
Don’t feel the need to teach the experience to death. I find it more helpful to just read the book aloud for enjoyment, let kids discuss with partners/small groups, and then share with the whole group. Often kids will point out the connections between something in the book and some other content you have taught (figurative language, foreshadowing, facts from a content area). Even if they do not, you might jot down what “tempted” you to stop and point it out, THEN refer back to the read-aloud book when you are teaching that content at another time of the day.
Use your favorite picture books, but also be on the lookout for the new and notable. Check out your local public library and your school library for new titles (or titles that are new to you). Also, get suggestions from your students! They often have favorite books that other students have not heard before.
Consider creating a theme of the month or theme of the year with your titles. My themes for the first nine weeks of school are kindness, growth mindset, and making the world a better place. Here are some of my favorite titles for the beginning of the year.
If you need to share the research on the benefits of reading aloud with administrators, coaches, or parents, here is a link to a blog post by Donalyn Miller (aka, the “Book Whisperer”)
I would love to hear your feedback about reading aloud to your students!