About Reader's Workshop: The Mechanics of Read Alouds

So far this week I've talked about why I think Read Alouds are important and I've provided two lists of books I've read aloud (here and here - with another one still to come). Today I'm going to talk about what I actually 'do' in Read Alouds.

I think I've tried everything with Read Alouds from using the vocabulary for spelling words, to making students write essays on Read Alouds, to letting students just sit there and colour in while I read. Now I've done it pretty much the same way for the past year and I feel it is working best for me and the students I teach.

Choosing the book
I keep a number of things in mind when I choose a book. Sometimes it is connected to the unit of work we're doing (we read The Hobbit when we studied Fantasy) Sometimes it's just a great book I think they will enjoy, or it's about a part of the world I think they should know more about. I don't always choose a 'hard' book. Like we need a range of books as readers, you need a range of books as listeners. So at the beginning of the year I usually choose something smaller and lighter. I'll do the same after we read a really heavy book, so the kids see that there's a range of books out there. It's not always easy to choose the books, sometimes you just have to go with gut instinct. And there has been times when I've had to stop reading one book and move on to another.

How often do I read?
I have the fortune of having the same class all the time, so I try to read every day. I usually read after the students have their second play break, because I find it eases them back into work at the end of the day and it's a good calming activity (especially on hot days). I read for around 15 minutes, unless I'm right near the end of a chapter or something like that.

What do the kids do when I read?
They listen. A couple of years ago, I let one class colour in while I read, but I know the language and the stories weren't getting in well. I've never tried students taking notes, but I worry that it would take over the story itself, plus it would be very difficult for some students. Instead, they just sit on the floor (less to fiddle with) and listen. I think sometimes in school we underestimate the role that listening plays, especially when it comes to literacy. When the students listen, they begin to build the world of the book in their head. They also take in the vocabulary and they have the time to observe what a good reader does when they read outloud.

The attached work/assessment
I no longer insist the students attach work to the Read Alouds - it would be like making them complete a worksheet during Reader's Workshop time. Instead we involve ourselves in two main kinds of assessment - recall (what happened last time we read?) and prediction (what do you think will happen next?) I generally use recall before we read and prediction after. However, saying that, lots of other types of comprehension also come up in conversation (this comprehension is all discussion based) like when we discuss the motivation of a character, or how the author is trying to make us feel. If the story is well out of our knowledge base, we build our background knowledge and vocabulary. Occasionally in mini-lessons we'll engage in a discussion which will lead back to books we've read. Our Read Aloud books become part of a rich conversation which we continue throughout the year - further reinforcing our Reader's Community.

What am I able to assess from this? Well most the time it's pretty general. As a class are they 'getting it'? Other times, students will say something that is so interesting/thoughtful, you run for your notes to get it down! (I'll never forget the time a student applied the concept of foreshadowing, which I had mentioned once in a writing class to the book we were reading!)

What do you do during your read alouds? How do you use them to reinforce community or build your readers? Let me know in the comments.

Read more about Reader's Workshop here
Read Aloud Master List