Today is World Read Aloud Day! I’m always ready for a great read aloud! Are you? Remember that read alouds can and should be happening K-12. I remember my 10th grade teacher (circa 1994) getting out, The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. I don’t remember the lesson, but I do remember being in class and not so much of a pencil dropped. That is what read alouds do!

When Reading Aloud Remember This:

📖 Read the book before hand! It helps to get your fluency ready to read to kids. It allows you to pull out important vocabulary, themes, background knowledge, etc.

📖 Think of questions to engage your readers to create an interactive read aloud. Is there are word or phrase that repeats? Get them to engage with you! Are there critical questions to create discussion? Ask them.
Hint: I write mine on sticky notes and stuck them in my book to remind myself to ask. I leave them in the book for next time.

📖 Your voice, inflection and intonation are EVERYTHING. I remember when I first started teaching, I read to my students like a robot. My poor 2nd graders were so sweet and sat through those awful read alouds without a wiggle. Maybe they did wiggle— I can’t remember. That was in 2002. 😂 I’m so grateful for my room parent that did a read aloud intervention. She was a former teacher and her read alouds were magical! 🤩 I vowed to make my read alouds just as magical—and I did! Don’t underestimate the power of a whisper and a pause.

📖 Have fun and bring your kiddos along for the ride. Let them be part of your read aloud journey! Make it an experience! 🤩

🌎Read the World on World Read Aloud Day! 🌎

Note-This book in this picture above is written by Oge Mora. 4th graders looooove this book. It’s a true story and it creates wonderful discussion, ties in history and critical thought provoking questions!