Wise Guys

Creativity in the Modern Classroom

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Free Resources
  • Novel Units
  • Reading Strategies
  • Shop
    • My account
    • My Downloads
    • My Cart
    • Checkout
    • Shop on TpT
Click here to get a free ebook!

Read Alouds in the Common Core Classroom

February 6, 2013 by Wise Guys 4 Comments

No matter what grade level you teach, read alouds should be a part of your daily routine.

Read for Pleasure


One main purpose of reading out loud is to show your students that you like to read for pleasure. Modeling reading with expression and excitement shows your class that you value reading and find it enjoyable. This is a great way to connect with your students and to show them a different side of you as well.

Reading Strategy Practice


Another purpose of doing read alouds is to help teach reading strategies to your students. Making predictions is one of the best ways to involve your students in asking them what will happen next. You can also include summarizing in think-pair-share activities at the end of each read aloud. It is a great way to make connections to what is happening in their lives or the world around them too. 

Special Effects!


We have found various devices to be effective in keeping students’ attention during read alouds. If the setting of the story is at night, we turn off the lights, close the blinds, and read either by candlelight or flashlight. The students love this and it can add an element of suspense/fright to the read aloud.

Go Outside!


If there is time in the day and the weather is nice, we have taken our classes outside for read alouds. They love to be able to  stretch out, breathe the fresh air, and relax while listening to the story. It’s also a great way to break the monotonous routine of a normal school day.

Use Music


If possible, we sometimes include background music during different parts of the story. You can search different types of music (happy, scary, sad…) on youtube and have it playing while reading.

Read with Expression


Probably our favorite part of reading out loud is reading with expression. We like to change voices and tones depending on the characters in the story. Our students enjoy this, and they look forward to listening to what character will speak next.

Draw a Picture


Another fun idea is to allow students to draw a picture related to the story while read alouds are occurring. Students love to draw and color pictures. The pictures make nice displays in the classroom as well.

Class Celebration


A final activity that we love to do after finishing a novel is to have a class celebration. Recently we celebrated A Whole Day of Holes based on the book Holes by Louis Sachar. We incorporated many subject areas into this day and the students had a blast. 

We hope you can pick up a few ideas to use when you do future read alouds with your class. If you have any great ideas please share below as well!

Filed Under: common core, reading Tagged With: creative, read aloud

  • Back to School Freebies
  • Top 5 Back to School “Must Do” Activities
  • Top 5 Back to School Tips for Balancing Schedules and Routines
  • How to Give Encouragement for the New Teacher
  • Back to School Tips for Social Studies Teachers
  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Wise Guys from Teachers Pay Teachers Welcome to our site! We have been teaching for over 30 years at the intermediate grade level (4-6). We pride ourselves on creating lessons that are engaging, meaningful, and aligned with the Common Core Standards. We love teaching, and love sharing our resources with other teachers. We hope you can find some activities that you can use in your classroom!

Follow Us

Our Store

Search Our Site

Top Posts & Pages

  • Point of View Anchor Chart and Resource
  • Oregon Trail Simulation Activity: Become a traveler on the Trail.
  • Why Hosting a Student Teacher will Change Your Teaching
  • Brain Breaks in the Elementary Classroom!
  • 15 Clever Call and Responses to Use in the Classroom!
  • 10 Tips for Welcoming a New Student
  • Author's Purpose Anchor Chart: It's as Easy as Pie!
  • Has Teaching US States and Capitals Disappeared?
  • How to Increase Student Engagement at the End of the Day

Recent Posts

  • Preparing Students for Standardized Testing During a Pandemic
  • Teaching the Presidential Election Without Bias
  • How to Restore Teacher Morale During a Pandemic
  • How to Deal with Back to School Anxiety during a Pandemic
  • Why Social Emotional Learning is Needed for Back to School

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 166 other subscribers

Teaching Blog Addict

TBA

Copyright © 2014 Wise Guys. All rights reserved. Website customization by Our Misadventures