In the past day and a half, I have witnessed three read alouds: kindergarten; grade 3; and grade 5. There is something special about having the outsider’s perspective, while at the same time, an insider’s understanding of the power of read alouds.
Each of the read alouds were given by a different teacher, with different styles and different texts. Yet each one felt, well it felt, magical. There is something unexplainable that happens to people (not just kids, but people) when they are surrounded by the words of powerful writing. I was reminded that reading aloud may just be the most powerful tool in a teacher’s repertoire.
Read alouds calm, inspire, teach, empower, and refresh people . . . not just students, but people. As I plan to teach a high school class next trimester, my resolve for reading aloud has been renewed. I must tap into the magic and power of reading aloud.
Discover more from TWO WRITING TEACHERS
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
I just finished Charlotte’s Web with my second graders. We cried, and talked about friendship. I heard the moans and groans every time I placed the bookmark back in the book to end.
We fell in love with that pig and spider. We didn’t want it to end.
Reading aloud is the one thing I can do in my day that I know won’t flop. We can just pull an oldie and goodie off the shelf and love its language. Or, we can dive into something new and reveal it masterpiece for the first time.
Magical is the best way to describe it!
LikeLike