Reading Aloud to Children
by Paul Lyda, Ed.D.
The elementary classroom is a very busy place, and teachers often neglect to take time to read aloud to their students. Teachers who plan for this activity soon realize that the benefits silent reading has for individuals extend to the whole classroom. The children are stimulated as a group toward spiritual and emotional maturity. The oral reading experience encourages the right kind of peer influence as the character in the story serves as a role model for the children and thus promotes an atmosphere where doing right is the acceptable thing.
When you have selected a book to read aloud to your classroom, you might use the following do's and don'ts to make this an enjoyable activity for everyone.
- Preview every book before you read it aloud to make sure that the story is not too complex for the age level and that the emotional level is not above the emotional development of your students.
- Accent the important passages, leaving out the dull ones.
- Make notes in the margins (if the book belongs to you) giving examples of sound effects and ways to dramatize the story.
- Try to set aside at least one time each day for a story.
- Allow time for your students to settle down.
- Be comfortable, but sit so that you are visible to your listeners.
- Read slowly. Reading fast is a common problem.
- Stop at a suspenseful spot; leave the audience hanging.
- Bring an object to the storytime whenever possible. For example, when reading Blueberries for Sal, have fresh blueberries for the students to eat.
- Allow children to draw or color while listening.
If you take the time and the effort to read aloud to your classroom, you and your students will soon look forward to this time as a favorite time of the day. It might even replace recess and lunchtime.
Reprinted from Balance, a publication of the School of Education, Bob Jones University. Used with permission of Bob Jones University. Please write BJU Press, for permission to reproduce this article.