What is a Read-Aloud?
A read-aloud is an oral reading of a book, and in the classroom may be related to a theme. The theme may be a series of books (e.g., the Froggy series), a specific author (e.g., Dr. Seuss), or a certain topic (e.g., dinosaurs or emotions). The read-aloud can be used to engage the child while developing their background knowledge, increasing their listening comprehension skills, and sharpening their critical thinking skills.
Read-alouds allow adults to model the skills necessary for book handling and reading - turning pages from left to right, following text with finger while reading, holding books upright, proper voice inflection, etc.
The Benefits of Read-Alouds
Read-alouds are instrumental in paving the way for a child's educational success.
Listeners build listening and comprehension skills through discussions during and after reading. Listeners increase their vocabulary by hearing words in context. Listeners improve their memory and language skills as they hear a variety of writing styles and paraphrase their understanding. Listeners gain information about the world around them. Listeners develop individual interests in a broad variety of subjects and they develop imagination and creativity: what better way to build skills which foster inquiry?