Reading aloud

While discussing the things that motivate tweens to read, Teri Lesesne discusses the importance of reading aloud. She points to Jim Trelease, the unofficial read-aloud guru, and his discussions of the importance of continuing to read aloud to all students--even in the upper grades. Trelease advocates for reading, but reminds all of us that sometimes reading needs to be done for pleasure. He notes that children might be in school for 900 hours a year, but they are out of school for 7,800 hours a year. This means that as much as students are expected to be exposed to these concepts within the school day, parents actually have a far greater responsibility to their children than do teachers. Trelease goes on to explain that children are sponges who will mimic whatever it is that they are exposed to and that it is society's obligation to ensure that they are exposed to positive messages.

Lesesne talks about the fact that read alouds help readers understand dialects and foreign words, and that they are especially important for English language learners. I work at a school where the vast majority of students have learned English as their second language. The students are dedicated to learning and are able to decode vocabulary far above their reading levels, but are struggling with comprehension at that level. Many problems with dialects, idioms, and pronunciation become clear when these students are able to listen to materials read aloud. Furthermore, much high quality literature contains concepts which must be pieced together to fully comprehend the depth of argument. Lesesne also discusses the importance of students being able to pick up vital information from observing a read aloud-- such as being able to observe the expressions on a reader's face, or picking up other non-verbal clues.



Follos, A. (2006). If teens want to listen, why do we shut up? School Library Journal. Retrieved July 20, 2010 from: http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6377863.html

Lesense, T. (2006). naked reading: Uncovering what tweens need to become lifelong readers. Maine: Stenhouse Publishers.

Trelease, J. (2010). Retrieved July 21, 2010 from: http://www.trelease-on-reading.com/rah-intro.html