Leaders, Let Them Read Books
Leaders, Let Them Read Books
April 15, 2022|Education, Florida, B.E.S.T. Standards, Florida's Standards
The Argument for Allowing (and Encouraging) Teacher Read-Alouds at ALL Grade Levels
I hear all too often that school leaders prohibit at worst, and discourage at best, teachers from reading aloud texts to their students in some of their classrooms. This usually begins to rear its head around 3rd or 4th grade. By middle school? It’s severely looked down upon, and by high school? Forget about it.
This is a mistake, and hey, I was guilty of it too. But, as one of my mentors used to say to me, “We always reserve the right to get better.” So, let’s get better together.
Leaders, it’s time we understand the importance of teacher read-alouds at ALL grade levels if we want to see our students succeed and rise to our high expectations.
First things first, when you say “teacher read-aloud,” what do you mean?
Let’s get on the same page. When I say teacher read-aloud, I mean the teacher reading aloud all or part of a complex text. They are modeling fluent reading, with rate and expression that is appropriate for the text. Often, this is accompanied with “think-alouds” where the teacher models the thinking process in an effective reader’s mind, making their thinking visible. This text may be literary, non-fiction, poetry, a speech, in a different language, or even parts of a student textbook. The students are following along with the text accessible to them in some way. In the lower grades, this may mean the teacher holding the text so the students can see it or projecting it under a document camera. In older grades, students have a copy of the text with which they can follow along.
Even Florida’s new B.E.S.T. standards explicitly state the importance of reading aloud ABOVE grade-level texts. In each grade-level, K-5th, you can find this wording in the Vocabulary Strand under the Benchmark Clarification for Context and Connotation:
“Text read aloud can be two grade levels
higher than student reading level.”
https://cpalmsmediaprod.blob.core.windows.net/uploads/docs/standards/best/la/elabeststandardsfinal2108.pdf p. 32, 40, 48, 56, 65, and 74
Why?
Research shows how effective it is. The Science of Reading, based on loads of research (see the many articles cited below), has found that when teachers read aloud complex above grade-level (and grade-level) texts, we are exposing students to vocabulary they cannot access and are not exposed to on their independent reading level.
Think about it: “6th grade level” books are denoted as “6th grade level” due to an algorithm based on the number of words, the complexity of themes, AND the level of vocabulary. If our students ONLY read (or hear) books on their independent reading level or grade-level, they will NEVER be exposed to higher level vocabulary, themes, or even genres.
“...listening to text read aloud provides access to a wide range of complex text that they would be unable to read for themselves. Even students who can read independently continue to benefit from listening to, responding to, and analyzing literature that is read to them.”
Teaching Reading Sourcebook: For all educators working to improve reading achievement 3rd Edition. CORE literacy library. Science of Reading. 2018
What it doesn’t mean:
Encouraging (note the change from “allowing”) teacher read-alouds at ALL grade levels does NOT mean students should never read independently. There must be a balance. Here’s a general rule of thumb: class shared texts should be one or two grade-levels above the current grade-level. Student independent reading texts should be at a students’ independent reading level or even a stretch (“instructional”) level.
Giving the Count of Monte Cristo to a 7th grader and expecting them to read it independently is a recipe for failure. You will see a defeatist attitude from students. They will think they aren’t good readers. And 99% won’t even read the book. (Though they may watch the movie with Jim Caviezel, which I highly recommend, though of course it is not substitute for the book. I digress. Though seriously, I love that movie...and Jim Caviezel.)
What it DEFINITELY doesn’t mean:
Round Robin or Popcorn Reading.
https://www.heinemann.com/products/e02580.aspx
Round Robin or Popcorn Reading (the kind of reading where you randomly or systematically call upon students to read excerpts from a text that they’ve never read or heard before), is not only ineffective for reading success, but research tells us it is detrimental to self-esteem. Stop this outdated practice. It is shaming, embarrassing, and ruins the comprehension of a text. Additionally, it often means students are not listening to fluent readers. Students need to hear fluent reading modeled. Now, if you want to read something aloud to the class, then maybe have them echo, choral, or partner read it to practice fluency or to drive home a critical concept in a text, that is great! THEN you can call on a student to read it aloud for the class, after they’ve had time to practice it. That’s a great way to INCREASE confidence and reading levels. If you want more research on and ideas for this, check out one of my favorites on the issue Good-bye Round Robin: 25 Effective Oral Reading Strategies by Opitz and Rasinski.
What it DOES mean:
Building background, learning new vocabulary, modeling fluency, making your thinking visible, increasing comprehension, and instilling a love of reading.
How much time and the frequency with which you you read to your students will vary depending on your grade, subject, and class period length. For primary grades, plan a read-aloud every single day. For intermediate grades, plan one for 3-5 times a week, and for the secondary grades, plan for 2-3 days a week. Routine is the key. Find a time and length that works for your and your students, and all the other experiences you have for your students during your time together.
This is a time to build background knowledge. While reading texts that students are familiar with, I encourage you to use this time to expose students to new genres, styles, structures, and time periods. Give students some context on the setting or perhaps where (and when) the text takes place. Tie in social studies by also exploring what else was going on in the world when the text was written.
Show vulnerability. If you mess up, great! Laugh at yourself, reread, and move on. If you don't know a word, be honest. As an adult reader, I sometimes don't know a word, and I have to practice the high-level skill of discernment: do I think this word is so important to the story that I need to look up it's meaning, or do I just need to keep reading and I'll be able to get the gist of the storyline? This is a very real skill students need to know.
For other quick tips, take a look at the below ideas derived from posts by Reading Rockets and the New York Public Library
Plan enough time for each session (15-20 minutes).
Choose stories or texts that respond to children's interest and experiences.
Read with expression.
Watch your audience.
Encourage discussion about the story. Ask and answer questions together.
All reading is good reading. Have a good time!
Slow down. Be yourself.
Don't worry about age or grade level.
You don't have to finish the book.
Make reading aloud part of your routine.
In Summary
If you are not allowing your teachers to read-aloud in class, you are stifling your student's growth. Encourage your teachers at every grade level to read aloud above grade-level texts to your students. You will begin to see the love of reading come into your school, your teachers, and your students – and as a result, achievement will rise.
Take a look at some of the suggested texts and their “readability” level for each grade level that are found in the FLDOE ELA B.E.S.T. Manual, Appendix B (p. 148)
Kindergarten: Rumble in the Jungle by Giles Andrea, 3rd Grade Level
1st: The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams, 4th Grade Level
2nd: Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne, 4th Grade Level
3rd: Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren, 5th Grade Level
4th: Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder, 6th Grade Level
5th: Hidden Figures by Margot Shetterly (Young Readers Edition), 7th Grade Level
6th: Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, 8th Grade level
Beginning in 7th Grade, we start to see a major rise in the complexity of texts, due in large part to the vast array of time periods in literary texts to which students will be exposed.
7th: The Count of Monte Cristo, Alexandre Dumas
8th: Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
9th: Beowulf, Antigone, Romeo and Juliet, The Aeneid, The Iliad, The Prince, The Odyssey
10th: A Tale of Two Cities, Common Sense, Frankenstein, Lord of the Flies, Macbeth, Uncle Tom’s Cabin
11th: Night, Julius Caesar, Dante’s Inferno, Jane Eyre, Two Treaties of Government, Walden
12th: Crime and Punishment, Don Quixote, Hamlet, Heart of Darkness, King Lear, Pride and Prejudice, Utopia.
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For B.E.S.T. training for your school, check out our website or contact me directly. We’ve been helping schools all over the state, and would love to help your school be ready for the B.E.S.T. and the F.A.S.T.
Let’s Talk it Out on the Socials: (links at the bottom of the page)
Teachers, how do you use teacher-read alouds in your classroom? Leaders, how might you support your teachers in conducting read-alouds with your upper grades?
Research and Further Reading:
Teacher Read-Aloud That Models Reading for Deep Understanding Strategy Guide: https://www.readwritethink.org/professional-development/strategy-guides/teacher-read-aloud
Why Every Class Needs Read Alouds: Read alouds can draw students of any age into a community that is knowledgeable and curious about topics and texts, from novels to news reports. (2018) https://www.ascd.org/el/articles/why-every-class-needs-read-alouds
Using Read-Alouds to Improve Older Elementary Students’ Literacy Skills
A daily read-aloud can help build community and show reluctant readers how to approach a text. (2021) https://www.edutopia.org/article/using-read-alouds-improve-older-elementary-students-literacy-skills
Why We Should Read Aloud to Middle School Students (2020) https://completeliterature.com/why-we-should-read-aloud-to-middle-school-students/
Using Read-Alouds to Boost Students’ Creativity
Reading aloud to middle and high school students encourages them to think critically, fosters a sense of community, and makes learning fun. (2021) https://www.edutopia.org/article/using-read-alouds-boost-students-creativity
5 Reasons I Read Aloud to High School Students (2017)
https://www.weareteachers.com/read-aloud-high-school-students/
Reading Rockets: A list of over 50 linked articles on the Why and How of teacher read-alouds
https://www.readingrockets.org/atoz/1143/all
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