Tapping the Potential of Teacher Read-Alouds for Adolescents
My students need nine grammar, language and syntax tests to be exposed to rich literacy experiences. Reading aloud promotes vocabulary & language development, fluency and listening skills.
Developing a passion for reading is crucial, says Jim Trelease, author of, “The Read-Aloud Handbook.” “Every time we read to a child, we’re sending a ‘pleasure’ message to the child’s brain.You could even call it a commercial, conditioning the child to associate books and print with pleasure.”
My middle school students are at a critical time in their lives, where competition for a child’s attention and learning is so fierce.
Between television, movies, the Internet, video games, and myriad after-school activities, the pleasures of sitting down with a book are often overlooked. In addition, negative experiences with reading; whether frustrations in learning to read or tedious “skill and drill” school assignments - may have turned my kiddos off from reading. Engaging, short read alouds are often overlooked by parents and some educators. Thus, we are failing to nurture avid and skilled readers. Indeed, this is especially true for children in low-income families. My students are from varied socioeconomic backgrounds and face the same inner city temptations of our nations youth. Read alouds will allow students to learn to read better, think, imagine more richly, and become passionate and lifelong readers. Middle school students still need that quality time spent being read to.
My Project
Did you know . . . In this day and age of hectic lives and busy schedules, reading together is a simple and enjoyable way for teachers to focus on the standard skills of education. Reading childrens stories is a wonderful bonding experience that fosters meaningful one-on-one communication with our kids. It shows our children in no uncertain terms that they are important to us. It molds our kids into becoming readers, and raising a reader significantly increases our child's potential for academic success as well as lifelong success in general. It is a vital and integral part of teaching our kids how to read as children learn how to read by being read to. It helps our children master language development. It builds listening skills, increases a child's attention span, and develops the ability to concentrate at length of which all are learned skills. Reading childrens stories to our children provides the best opportunities for true " teaching moments." My students need to be exposed to rich literacy experiences. Reading aloud promotes vocabulary & language development, fluency and listening skills.
Please help our future youth become successful lifelong readers.
According to "Put Reading First: The Research Building Blocks for Teaching Children to Read", teachers should, "The more models of fluent reading the children hear, the better. Of course, hearing a model of fluent reading is not the only benefit of reading aloud to children. Reading to children also increases their knowledge of the world, their vocabulary, their familiarity with written language and their interest in reading."
DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.
As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mrs. Rotherham and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.