Dos and Don'ts of Read Aloud

In chapter 4 of Jim Trelease’s Read Aloud Handbook, he lists several tips for helping to make your read alouds meaningful and successful.  Here are a few of our favorites:

Do

• Listening is an acquired skill and won’t happen overnight. You might start with a shorter read aloud time and build the time up.

• Vary the length and types of text read aloud. Picture books work just as well as chapter books.
• Always read the title and author, even if you have read the book a hundred times! Kids should learn the names of the people who write the books they read.  Talk about the cover illustration and what the book might be about.
• Follow through.  If you start a book, it is your job to make time to finish in a timely manner (unless of course the book turns out to be a bad book.) I have abandoned books before with my children, always with a discussion of why.
• If there is more than a two year age difference between your children, consider separate read alouds. This can be tricky but reaps many benefits.
• Remember that everyone  enjoys a good picture book. With the Holiday season here, there are many amazing picture books about the spirit of giving.
• Allow time for discussion after finishing a story-thoughts, hopes, fears, and discoveries.  Do not turn discussions into quizzes. Remember, how does a book leave you feeling? What’s your take away?
• The most common mistake in reading aloud is reading too fast.  Read slowly enough for the child to build mental pictures of what they have heard you read.  Slow down enough for the children to see the pictures in the book without feeling hurried.
• Reluctant readers or very active children often find it difficult to just sit and listen.  Paper, crayons, and pencils allow them to keep their hands busy while listening...you doodle while talking on the phone, don’t you? Even in school, there are times we have allowed children to sketch while reading aloud.
• Fathers should make an extra effort to read to their children.  Because the majority of primary school teachers are women, young boys often associate reading with women and schoolwork.  Boys more often associate their dad’s with being more likely to play catch out in the yard than taking them to the library.  A father’s early involvement with books and reading can do much to elevate books to at least the same status as sports in a boy’s estimation.

Don’t

• Don’t be afraid to abandon a book once it is obvious it is a poor choice. Just make sure you have given the book a fair chance. Some books start slow but get better as they go.
• Don’t overwhelm your listener.  Consider the intellectual, social, and emotional level of your audience when making a book selection.  Never read above a child’s emotional level. Kids internalize more than they let us know.
• Don’t start reading if you are not going to have time to do it justice. You should be able to finish a picture book or at least a chapter.
• Don’t impose interpretations of a story upon your audience.  A story can be just plain enjoyable, no reason necessary, and still give you plenty to talk about.  The highest literacy gains occur when children ave access to discussions following a story. We have found asking, “Should the character have ____________?” while  keeping a neutral face to be very powerful.  For younger kids, we have stopped and said, “Tell (the character) what to do right now!”
• Don’t confuse quantity with quality.  Reading to your child for ten minutes, with your full attention and enthusiasm, may very well last longer in a child’s mind than two hours of television viewing.
• Don’t use the book as a threat (“If you don’t pick up your room, no story tonight!”)  As soon as children see that you’ve turned the book into a weapon, they’ll change their attitude about books from positive to negative. Some books can even be shared to start a conversation about a problem a child is having at home or school.

We hope that this list gives you more ideas and inspiration to either start or improve upon your read alouds at home.

Tracey Carbone and Jessica Carey

Literacy Teachers at KingsHighway School

Thoughts to Ponder and Discuss

Do you have any additional tips for making read aloud work?

Do you have any stories about things you have tried, that haven’t worked so well?

Did anything on this list surprise you or make you want to learn more?

What might you try?

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