GREAT TEACHING TIPS FOR READ ALOUDS!

READING ALOUD TO CHILDREN

Research indicates that reading books to children is the single most valuable activity in helping children learn to read.

1. Be dramatic and have fun! The more enthusiasm you show to the children, the more they will enjoy the book.
2. Run your finger underneath the words as you read to signal that the print is telling the story.
3. Relate events in the book to events in the children's lives.
4. Leave plenty of time to explore the illustrations. Encourage children to find things in the pictures.
5. If a child asks a question, stop and answer it. The book may open up important discussions with your children. It can serve as a launchpad to many subjects.
6. Do fun activities that relate to the book.
7. Use musical instruments to create suspense, silliness, happy and sad sounds. This can bring your story to life as well as keep each child engaged.
8. Have the children act out what you read. If the character walks to the store, they should be able to walk in place as they reach a door and open it and grab some groceries. This should be fun and can help on those days it's raining out and their energy levels are high. It's a good idea to give them boundaries for control. You could have them stay inside a hoop on the floor.
9. Use a prop bag to illustrate parts of the story. Collect items that pertain to the story, and display them when they are mentioned in the story. Let's say your reading, "Miss Spider's Tea Party." You could take out rubber bugs, a tea cup, silk flowers, or a hankerchief to dry Miss Spider's eyes. If your story is about bananas, pull some bananas out of the prop bag. It would be fun to eat them while they listen to the rest of the story.
10. Ask the children questions about the story. Reading comprehension is one of the hardest things to teach a child if it doesn't come naturally to him. In order to comprehend something, you must be paying attention to it. Help children to develop their ability to comprehend stories by asking questions either about what they think is about to happen or what has already happened. This develops critical thinking, which helps later in life in making major decisions.

LISTENING TO CHILDREN READ ALOUD

Your attention and praise is essential to encourage continued success in a child's continuing efforts to learn to read.

1. If a child is learning to read and asks for a word, give it immediately so that the meaning of the story is not interrupted. DO NOT ask the child to sound out the word.
2. On the other hand, if the child initiates the act of sounding out, don't intervene.
3. If a child makes a miscue, listen for the meaning of the miscue. If the word "road" is substituted for the word "street," no meaning is lost. Don't stop the reading for a correction.
4. If the miscue makes no sense, like using the word "horse" for "house," ask the child to reread the sentence because you're not sure you understand what's been read.
5. Most importantly, give lots of praise! Praise from you is critical for futher risk-taking and learning.

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