Speeding into reading

We are almost finished with our second full week of school, and things sure are in full swing! I'm loving my new classroom, and all the space I have. This is the first time I've ever had the space to pull a group of students to the carpet for Read Aloud! Over the summer I spent some time reading several children's novels, and I found four that I really like. I'm reading my favorite right now, Silverwing, by Kenneth Oppel. The main character is a bat who is the runt of his colony. He goes on a journey, meets other characters, and during the adventure makes friends and learns about himself. We are still at the beginning of the book, and tomorrow the students are going to discover the reason why the bats have to obey a law that allows them out only at night. They were really sad when school ended today and we had to stop reading! Ok, enough about the book already. I thought I'd take a moment to write a little bit about why this type of reading is so important for student learning. So, here goes....

1. It's important for students to hear what good readers sound like when they read. We, as readers, did not just come by inflection and intonation naturally. We read with expression because we heard someone read that way to us. So many students are not read to at home, so how are they supposed to learn how to read expressively? From someone who loves to read.

2. Reading to students exposes them to new vocabulary. When we read aloud to students, we have the opportunity to read books that are above their independent reading level. Many of them contain new words for students. If you take the time to explain the words to the students, they have instantly increased their vocabulary, and they don't even realize they've learned something new!

3. Reading unlocks creativity. Books leave so much to the imagination. How many times have you been to the movies after reading a story, and thought, "Wow, that character doesn't look anything like I imagined?". After school, our students head home, quickly complete their homework, then plop in front of the tv or a video game and watch. While it took creativity to make the tv show or game, it does not take creativity to watch it. Reading aloud gives students the chance to use their imagination.

4. Reading aloud gives students the chance to think at a higher level. When students are actively engaged in read aloud, they don't even realize that you are growing their brains when you ask questions like, "How is the character feeling?" or "How has the character changed from the beginning of the story," or even "What do you think the character is going to do next?"

5. Reading to students instills a love of reading in them. I always say that reading takes you places. It takes you to places literally, like where the story takes place, and it also takes you places figuratively, like to the next level of book to read, or to the next grade level, or in the case of our students eventually to higher education and a successful career. Students who are read to are more likely to enjoy reading later, and that will take them farther than they ever dream!

So, bottom line, read to your students, read to your kids, read to your neighbors, just read!