Episode 169: Quick Q&A: What is a Read Aloud?

What is a read aloud?

It is very common to see early childhood and elementary school teachers reading aloud to their students. But what exactly is happening during this time? 

In episode 170, we talk with author and professor, Molly Ness about read alouds. We share her definition along with what to look for in a read aloud and the benefits of read alouds for all learners!

Check out Molly's book: Read Alouds for All Learners

We answer your questions about teaching reading in The Literacy 50-A Q&A Handbook for Teachers: Real-World Answers to Questions About Reading That Keep You Up at Night.

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Episode Transcript

Melissa (00:01):
Hi teacher friends.
This is Melissa from Melissaand Lori Love Literacy, and
today I'll be answering thisquestion.
What is a read aloud?
It is very common to see earlychildhood and elementary school
teachers reading aloud to theirstudents, but what exactly is
happening during this time?
In episode 170, we talk withauthor and professor Molly Ness

(00:24):
about read aloud.
She defines a read aloud as ashared literacy experience,
engaging children and adults inconversation and engagement
around a high quality text.
She uses the terms read aloudand interactive read aloud
interchangeably because of theinteraction and give and take of
ideas and naturally occurringconversation that all read

(00:47):
alouds should include.
So what are some key componentsof an interactive classroom
read aloud?
There should be interaction andinvolvement of the students,
not just a teacher reading abook the whole way through.
Teachers should invite studentsto talk about the text before,
during and after reading.

(01:08):
Teachers can also share theirown thoughts.
They can wonder and speculateand interpret as they read aloud
.
The text should be high quality, reflective texts and it should
be a joyful and engagingexperience for both the teacher
and the students.
You may also be wondering,though, why read alouds are
important and read alouds havemany benefits for students, and

(01:30):
here are just a few.
They promote foundationalliteracy skills, including
phonological awareness and printconcepts and, when the text
read aloud are at a higher levelthan what students might be
able to access on their own.
They increase students' contentknowledge.
They build students vocabularyas well as their expressive,
receptive and written language,and they improve more advanced

(01:51):
comprehension skills.
Molly Ness recently published abook titled Read Alouds for All
Learners, and you can hear moreabout read alouds when we talk
to Molly in episode number 170coming this Friday.
Thanks for listening and Ican't wait to keep learning with
you.
Thanks for listening.
Literacy Lovers, to stayconnected with us, sign up for

(02:13):
our email list atliteracypodcast.
com.
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Podcast are not necessarily theopinions of Great Minds PBC or
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