My Read Aloud

Here is one  Read Aloud that I have used with my students in a 4th grade classroom.

While looking at the front cover  of the book, this is a post-it I would use with my class. Notice how I am telling them what I know about the Mayflower and showing them how I would READ more to learn more.

Next I would introduce some of the vocabulary that my children would encounter in the book. I would make sure that before reading each section, I would introduce it to them with the picture card as well. Then I might put in the room or tape it into a chart.

Next, I would begin the first section with a series of Think Alouds & Turn and Talks,  I modeled this while looking at the front cover of the book.  Next, I would  ask the students to try it too. The pattern would repeat, I model, students try it.   This way, I am asking them to THINK before they begin to read a section and get their reading muscles ready to read.

 

Here are a few more of my post its  from the read aloud. Since social studies topics might be a bit hard for kids to understand , I would want to make sure that the kids were getting the subject matter or  accumulating the text. I would do this with a combination of Think Alouds, and Turn & Talks  early in the school year. Here is a post-it of how this might look in the early sections of the book.

While reading, I would add a Think Aloud where I would say, "Hmmm this does not make sense. I need to reread that." And I would.  This would let my students know that I too, need to stop and check my understanding of  the text, thus tucking in reading skills while teaching social studies.

 After reading a section or two, I would show the students how to make sure they are really remembering what is going on in the text. I would hold out my thumb and count with my fingers as I said each important fact that I learned. I might also have children turn and talk to partners and recall the facts that way too.

Finally, I would store all of my work in an envelope that I pasted into the back cover of the book. I usually make sure that I have  extra vocabulary words and picture cards  so that I can share them with others who might be on my grade team as well.

Happy Reading!