Concluding Reminders
Reading aloud is a treasured time for teachers
who enjoy sharing stories and literature with children
of all ages. This important strategy has yielded many
benefits literacy experts know to be true. Yet, there
is some external push to reduce time devoted to
reading aloud in today‘s classroom because of
pressures from the current curriculum. It is important
to think about the connections of reading aloud to
future reading success. Reading aloud will help
students develop the Missouri Core Academic
Standards.
Reading aloud fosters a connection of trust
between the reader and listeners. It conjures up a
memory of young children sitting upon their mother‘s
lap listening to stories while being protected from the
big bad wolf or other sinister characters. Likewise, as
teachers read to their classes, the children look to
them as their guardians—sharing the adventures of
stories. It becomes almost personal as listeners
connect one-on-one with the reader. Ogle and Beers
(2012) state, ―Reading aloud to students can be a very
important factor for providing motivation for reading,
building critical concepts about reading, and
developing an understanding of literature‖ (p. 151).
Reading aloud affirms the importance of
language and meaning and often equalizes the amount
of content students learn. As teachers read aloud,
students hear words and inflections that add to their
own cache of words. They hone their listening skills
and build their own ability to comprehend. They
learn to make mental pictures of the text being read
aloud and interpret the author‘s message. And they
begin to appreciate the cadence of reading. Children
with limited language proficiency, reading disabilities,
and even lack of background knowledge have equal
access to the content when read to aloud. Hearing
the content often assists students in catching the
content, especially if they are struggling to read the
text on their own.
As reading teachers, we believe in reading
aloud. It is great for children of all ages. It can bring
Skippyjon Jones to life as easily as Catcher in the Rye. It is
magical to watch the students as they are taken into
the story line, and we revel in delight as they predict
the upcoming events. However, nothing excites us
more than when they beg us to keep reading. Harvey
and Goudvis (2007) conclude that ―There is nothing
more powerful than a literacy teacher sharing her
passion for reading, writing, and thinking. Passion is
contagious. Kids will respond‖ (p. 12).
References
Anderson, R.C., Hiebert, E.H., Scott, J.A., &
Wilkinson, I.A.G. (1985). Becoming a nation of
readers: The report of the commission on reading.
Washington, DC: National Institute of
Education.
Castle, M. (1994). Helping children choose books. In
E. H. Cramer & M. Castle (Eds.),
Fostering the love of reading: The affective domain in
reading education (pp. 145-169).
Newark, DE: International Reading Association.
Cecil, N.L. (1999). Striking a balance: Positive practices
for early literacy. S