USING READ ALOUDS WITH PRESCHOOL
CHILDREN
Rebecca Hammond & LaDonna Burnley
In today’s society, most children begin their school career in a preschool classroom. Prior to entering
the classroom, each student has had a variety of different experiences with books and reading. The preschool
teacher must take the variety of student experiences and begin the formal education in reading. The primary
reading activity in a preschool class is a shared read aloud. “Reading aloud begins the first day of school and
continues throughout a child’s school career” (Fountas & Pinnell, 1996, p. 26).
Reading is more than just being able to decode the words written on the page of a book: reading is
being able to understand what is read. Reading is being able to enjoy what is read and connecting it to
everyday experiences. Zeece and Churchill (2001) write, “Parents and other significant adults have a crucial
role in the development of the earliest process of learning to read and write and the support of these skills
throughout childhood, as quality literature is shared with young children” (p. 101). Reading aloud is one way
to share literature with children. Some consider it to be the best way to help students of all ages to develop
literacy skills (Vacca & Vacca, 2008).
A read aloud, as defined by Fountas and Pinnell
(2001), is when the teacher reads a book aloud as the
students listen. This is a time the class or family can enjoy
a favorite book or author. It can also be a time that the
teacher or parent uses to teach concepts to the children.
An interactive read aloud is when an adult reads a book
aloud, but stops at points throughout the story for
comments and/or discussion from students (Fountas &
Pinnell, 2001). This is an opportunity to help the children
make connections to the book. The reader can ask little
ones if they have read another story like the one being
read or they can ask questions that focus on how the
characters in the book are like them. Further connections
can be made to how the story is like their community
(Vacca & Vacca, 2008).
Everyday in classrooms and homes across America,
children are being read to. The children range in age from
infants to school age. For the younger children, infants
thru kindergarten, this activity will have a far reaching
impact. Reading a book to a child is just the beginning. It
is the initial exposure to the child learning about reading
and writing (Zeece & Churchill, 2001).
Becca Hammond has been a teacher in Missouri
for 10 years. She has H