READING ALOUD TO MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS: A
SURVEY OF MISSOURI TEACHERS
Rebecka Spencer, Deanne Camp, and Beth Hurst
he act of reading aloud to students
evokes a mental picture of small children sitting
on a carpeted area in the classroom listening
attentively as the teacher reads Charlotte’s Web
(Zehr, 2010). However, reading aloud to
adolescents is receiving more attention as
educators look for ways to motivate students to
read at all grade levels, not just elementary
(Routman, 2003; Zehr, 2010). Although
researchers agree the effectiveness of reading
aloud in elementary grades is paramount
because of the impact it has on overall student
achievement, minimal research on reading
aloud has been reported in middle grades (Ariail
& Albright, 2006; Trelease, 2006). Vacca, Vacca,
and Mraz (2011) contend “Reading aloud is
considered by many experts to be the single
most important activity in developing student
literacy ability, regardless of age” (p. 383). They
found that “after hearing a book read aloud,
students are much more likely to pick up books
on this topic, and related ones, on their own”
(p. 383).
Educators must know what strategies are
effective to improve students’ knowledge and
understanding of the importance of reading
(Reading is Fundamental [RIF], 2004; Trelease,
2006). According to research reported by RIF
(2004), “reading aloud is the best way to give
children the tools they’ll need to become good
readers, listeners, and students” (para. 2). Boyd
and Devennie (2009) agreed reading aloud was
“more important than flashcards, dittos,
homework, assessments, and book reports, and
[was] far less expensive than scripted programs,
which often require substantial investments for
materials and support staff” (p. 148). Included
in the classic study, Becoming a Nation of
Readers, is perhaps one of the most powerful
statements about the importance of reading
aloud to students: “The single most important
activity for building the knowledge required for
eventual success in reading is reading aloud to
children” (Anderson, Hiebert, Scott, &
Wilkinson, 1985, p. 23). Making the most of
reading aloud even for a few minutes each day
helps to improve students’ abilities to read and
learn (RIF, 2004). According to Riley (2010),
literacy advocates proclaim the adage “magic
happens when a young child is read to
regularly” (para. 4); and “the love of reading