Rich, thought-provoking discussions are in your future because this year class read-alouds are IN for upper elementary students. In this episode I'm sharing all my tips for class read-alouds with big kids.
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Welcome, welcome to another episode of the social studies teacher podcast. So glad that you're here to tune in. Today we're going to be talking about for classroom read aloud tips for upper elementary. This is something I swear by as far as just one of those things that takes a little time out of your day carves a little bit of time, but it's so valuable and worthwhile with all the discussions that take place, and just really great literature that you get to read with your students and get them excited about. So in short, nothing beats a good class read aloud, no matter what subjects you teach. Introducing your students to the thought provoking stories and new characters is an awesome way to stimulate learning. Not only does it inspire discussions around difficult topics, but it also turns literature into a shared experience for everyone in the room. Whether you're just starting out or looking for some fresh ideas, hopefully these tips will help you make sure that your next class read aloud is successful and enjoyable for both you and your students.
Kirsten 1:54
So let's talk about why class read alouds are beneficial for upper elementary. You might think that students in grades three through five are too old to listen to books read by the teacher, but that is absolutely not true. My students in upper elementary always loved to listen to read alouds. It's a great way to discuss text, vocabulary, and it also increases comprehension. There are several great times to conduct read alouds with students. I used to read a chapter to my class during snack time or after recess. And this is always a great break from student learning because all it takes is 15 or 10 minutes, I do have a blog post and podcast episode of my favorite read alouds for upper elementary, so I'll make sure to link that in the show notes.
Kirsten 2:48
All right, let's talk about four tips to conduct a class read aloud. Tip number one is to choose a text that is rich and complex enough for older students. While picture books are great to utilize for many lessons with upper elementary class read alouds work really well with chapter books. It can be a book that is at or slightly above their grade level, you as the teacher will be reading the text. So it's all about students focusing on listening and comprehension of the story, which would be done when discussing the text after reading.
Kirsten 3:22
The second tip I have for you is to preview the text to get an idea of its main ideas and themes. While you might hear a great chapter book recommendation from others, it always is best to read the text in advance to make sure you understand the overall central idea and major themes from the book. It's also a great way to see if the text is appropriate for your students, and if it would be something of interest to them.
Kirsten 3:48
The third tip I have for you is to stop periodically to ask questions students might have about the text or discuss their thoughts and reactions. My favorite part of reading a chapter book to my classes were when a particularly juicy part of the story such as something suspenseful, or an event and a plot that's been building comes to a head, you can hear a pin drop, it is so quiet as you're reading because students know it's really cool to be able to experience that. So make sure to stop at the end of that moment to discuss their reactions and thoughts.
Kirsten 4:24
The fourth and final tip I have for you is to close that specific read aloud day with a discussion of what they learned from the text. After your read aloud time, don't just close the book and call it a day. If you're reading just a chapter a day, or maybe a couple chapters or you know depending on the length of the book, maybe a few pages, make sure to ask questions about it. Then get them excited for the next chapter with something like Oh tomorrow we might find out what happens at the event the characters go to or whatever it might be.
