Category: Books

I am a few days behind so I am trying to catch up on my blog posts before we go to Boston tomorrow.  Chapter 4 is a short chapter that is a list of Do’s and Don’ts for Reading Aloud.  I thought I would just comment on a few that really resonated with me.

The first thing that I have really been thinking about for a few days now was sparked by reading the Managing Interruptions post on Teach Preschool from an interview with Jim Trelease.  Trelease discusses interruptions by both reader and listener.  I understand and agree with his comments on student interruptions – managing them is a skill.  It is interruptions by the teacher that I have more of a struggle with.  When we are learning how to ‘teach’ Read Alouds much of the focus is on ‘Thinking Aloud’.  In Ontario a lot of this is outlined in Guide to Effective Instruction in Reading.

In the think-aloud process, the teacher models reading strategies – that is, the teacher says aloud to the students what he or she is thinking in order to make meaning of the text.

I understand Trelease’s comments on maintaining the flow of the story and avoiding stopping but there are times when teaching that it is useful to stop and ‘think aloud’.  The goal for a teacher is to determine when it is more valuable to comment and when it is better just  to keep reading.  A few points in this chapter discuss this idea.

• As you red keep listeners involved by occasionally asking, “What do you think is going to happen next? (page 74)

• When you come to a part of the story that the audience might not sense is important, pause and then whistler, “Mmmmmmmm.  That could be important”.

I think that while considering this, often as a teacher I sometimes ‘Think aloud’ a bit too often.

Here are a few other Do’s that jumped out at me:

Set aside at lease one consistent time each day for a story. (page 73)

I need to work on this one in my class.  I think it may be first think in the morning but as I work on my daily schedule for next year I need to find a way to schedule in a time every day.

Allow your listeners a few minutes to settle down and adjust their bodies and minds to the story. (page 74)

In my class we sing a lot, and often our singing indicates transitions.  I have been looking for a while for a song to sing with the the class to signal that it is time for a Read-Aloud.

Create a wall chart or back-of-the-bedroom-door book chart so the child or class can see how much as been read (page 76)

I love this idea, I just need to find the way that works in my class.

Chapter 5 up next, if I don’t get it read today it will probably not be posted until next weekend.

The main thing that struck me (again) in chapter 3 is that I really wish I had read this book before I had kids.  I think it may be on my list of baby shower gifts.  In chapter 3 Trelease breaks down read-alouds at different ages and stages of development.  I found it particularly helpful that he highlights the key features of each age and some recommended books.

Infants: “… parents frequently read aloud books and stories that rhyme.” (page 49)

Toddlers: “As much as possible you want the child to interact with you and the book” (page 51) “labelling the environment” (page 52)

Some other key things that jumped out at me:

• Taking a short time to introduce the book and some unknown vocabulary prior to reading can increase learning benefits.
• The transition from picture book to novel should be smooth.

While you don’t want to drown the child in words, you do want to unconsciously entice him away from a complete dependence on illustrations for comprehension and into more words. (page 57)

• I love how he discusses the difference between novels that are meant to be read aloud and those that should be read silently.  I hadn’t thought about it before but  it is a great point!  There are some things that need to be processed more slowly as you read to yourself but others that have so much more power when you hear them.  This is a concept I would like to further explore.
• bowdlerize 1: to expurgate (as a book) by omitting or modifying parts considered vulgar 2: to modify by abridging, simplifying, or distorting in style or content (Merriam-Webster app).  I learned a new word!
• I love the rule of 50!  I don’t know why I haven’t come across this before but I am totally using this in my own reading.

I have  a bit of a confession to make, I didn’t really ever read to my children until they could sit up with me (approx. 6 months).  I have a really cute picture of my husband reading to Kaitlyn with 1 week old Eileen in his lap but usually they were not read to as babies, especially Kaitlyn (my eldest).  Since then we have read to all of our children and filled our house with books.

Much of the first part of chapter about the impact of reading-aloud to children starting young and continuing to read to them as they grow up. There are a number of very inspiring stories of different families in different situations with different challenges.

I am a parent and teacher who likes specific an concrete steps to follow.  Before my teaching career I earned a degree in Microbiology and I have a pretty analytical approach to most things.  Because of these I appreciate the steps Trelease outlines throughout his book.  On pages 32 and 33 he gives 4 factors found in the home environment of every early reader (I love lists):

1. Child is read to on a regular basis.
2. Variety of printed materials are available in the home.
3. Paper and pencil are always available to the child.
4. People in child’s home stimulate child’s interest in reading and writing.

So I thought I would check. 1 – Our kids are read to on a regular basis, we could do better but we could definitely do worse.  2 – We have tonnes of books in our house, if we weighed them they might actually come close to a tonne.  Both the girls have bookshelves in their rooms (we are working on Michael’s), there is one in the kitchen, our raingutter shelves in the playroom, and many drawers are filled with books.   We have some magazines but could improve on the variety of material available.  3 – There are definitely writing materials everywhere, from and early age the goal has been to keep them writing on paper and not the furniture.  4 – I like to think I am pretty good at stimulating their interest in reading and writing.  I am always answering my children’s questions in proper detail and posing new ones to them, even Michael’s thousand why questions a day.  If I don’t know an answer we always go to a book or the computer to find an answer.  We go to the school library frequently and in the summer the public (even though right now I am a bit scared to due to over due fines we owe).  This summer both of my girls are keeping journals and as I expect this of them I am also keeping my own journal, and sharing it with them.

Some other thoughts from chapter 2:

1. Page 35 talkes about reading to each child separately if possible.  At school, in my class of 30+ kinders this is virtually impossible but I encourage co-op students, volunteers and anyone else in my class to read to individuals and small groups.  At home, when my husband is home, we try to divide up so that throughout the week everyone gets some one-on-one reading time.  I was happy to get a little reminder how important this is.
2. “When a child has little or no experience with books, it is impossible for him to have a concept of them and the pleasure they afford.” (page 36) Very simply but honestly put!
3. Bed lamp – my girls each have a bed lamp but I like the idea of suggesting to them that they are old enough to read for 15 minutes.  My eldest has a really hard time falling asleep and this might be the one thing to help her wind down, she loves to read and loves to think she is ‘big’.
4. Can I still read Dr. Seuss to my kids?   Eileen went through a phase where she loved Horton Hears a Who and we read it every night.  I personally feel this is still important as it is her pleasure in reading, but maybe I need to throw in a few more challenging (vocabulary books) for her.  With Kaitlyn we are in to reading chapter books but maybe Eileen, my advanced reading (almost ) 5 year old, is ready for read-aloud chapter books

Looking forward to chapter 3!