Reading Aloud: Blog Post #3

Reading Aloud 

Welcome back! I am happy to hear that our classroom's blog has been a great resource for families to connect with what we are doing during our days in school. I hope you all continue to provide me with feedback in order to not only make this blog as helpful as possible but to also make our classroom an even better learning environment. 

This week we have been focusing on reading books aloud, varying between story books, picture books, and books that do not contain any print. We have been reading books aloud as a whole class and in small groups as well. Reading aloud provides a great opportunity for children to expand their language development as well as learn how to identify different sounds in words. I believe that reading books aloud not only helps children with the development of their language and cognitive skills but also helps to show children that learning can be fun as well as educational. Reading aloud also provides children with the opportunity to explore their own interests and hobbies. 

Our classroom has very much enjoyed reading books aloud and will continue to do so as well as doing other activities that grow out of the stories we read. Please continue to read aloud with your children, they are doing such an amazing job! Below I will include some suggestions for books that are great to read aloud with your child, a website that provides stories you can listen to that are read aloud online, and some tips you may want to use while reading with your child in case you are feeling unsure with what to do. I use them myself! Thank you for your continued support and please always feel free to contact me with questions or concerns. 

Storyline Online 

http://www.storylineonline.net 

Suggested Books 

• Stellaluna By Janell Cannon 
• Goodnight Moon By Margaret Wise Brown 
• The Very Hungry Caterpillar By Eric Carle
• Llama Llama Red Pajama By Anna Dewdney
• The Rainbow Fish By Marcus Pfister 
• If You Give a Moose a Muffin By Laura Numeroff
• The Runaway Bunny By Margaret Wise Brown

Tips you may use when reading aloud with children: 

• Rhyming and patterns books help children actively participate when reading aloud, it provides them with the opportunity to retell simple plots and themes in books through the repetition of patters, rhymes, and the re-reading of books 
• Read books that interest the child 
• Introduce the book, read the title and author while showing what the cover looks like, suggest things for your child to look and listen for 
• Run your finger under the text 
• Wait after each page for questions 
• Repeat interesting words and rhymes 
• Pause and wait so children can say the word or phrase that is repetitive and/or predictable 
• Stop to ask thinking questions like "what might happen next?" "where did she go?" "what is she doing?" 
• Encourage your child to draw, write, paint, or act out a story or particular character from the book you just read 

Reading is Fun!