Twenty books to sell to young readers, and only a
little time. No wonder many librarians and teachers have chosen
in the past to read aloud the short books, the ones they could finish in
twenty minutes – then the kids could count those books toward their five
to vote. But what have you and the students missed in those other
longer books? While many librarians and teachers choose to read aloud
chapter books in their entirety, there’s much to enjoy in selected
segments which can be used as a book talk.
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SUGGESTED
PASSAGES
(doc)
from this year’s
nominees that will read aloud well, will intrigue your listeners
to pick up the book to read the rest themselves, and may provide
discussion starters for small groups. |
Why reading
aloud? Students are never too old to appreciate the pleasure of
being read to – they feel like they are getting something for nothing,
and it just feels good. But they aren’t really “getting something for
nothing.” They are, in fact, improving their literacy skills. According
to Judy Freeman in a 1992
Teacher
Magazine article, “reading aloud teaches children about literature
in a way silent or independent reading never can.” As the sounds of the
words wash over them, the students learn the rhythm of language which
they continue to internalize by hearing more sophisticated books read
throughout their development to adulthood. They also develop an oral
vocabulary that may be ahead of their decoding skills. They are being
introduced to new ideas and to books they might not have discovered on
their own. The Bluebonnet program can support your school’s commitment
to improved test scores, and more basically to improved enthusiasm for
reading and lifelong learning.
Reading aloud
doesn’t have to mean “the whole book.” Choose a section of a
book to read as a teaser, as a kind of booktalk by the author, to
provide students an introduction to the book that maybe comes from the
middle of the story. What happened before? What will happen next? Maybe
you want to make them curious about the main character, or the places
described.
If you only have 10
minutes or less a week to promote the Bluebonnet program, reading aloud
a very short selection from each book, a different book each week, would
be a really good way to get great results. If you have a little more
time, read a little longer from each book. But while you are reading,
know that you are contributing to stronger literacy skills for every
listener, skills that will contribute to higher test scores.
