Read Alouds - Why do it?

In my short teaching career, I've heard some negative comments on reading aloud to my students. It's personally something I feel strongly in favor of, so it puzzled me why someone wouldn't want to do it. In doing some research, it overwhelmingly shows the positive effects of reading aloud to students each day. In an article from edusource.org, Dominic Massaro discusses the advantages of doing it.

"Reading aloud is the best way to help children develop word mastery and grammatical understanding, which form the basis for learning how to read, said Massaro, who studies language acquisition and literacy. He found that picture books are two to three times as likely as parent-child conversations to include a word that isn’t among the 5,000 most common English words."

In my classroom, I set aside 15-20 minutes of read aloud time each day. I turn off the lights (I have twinkle lights all over my room) and I don't allow students to do anything else but listen. They can't color, work on homework, or read another book (yes, it's been asked!). I simply want them to listen and be transported by the book to a new place. At the beginning of the year, they wiggle and twitch as they sit listening. But about two weeks into school, they're hooked. They want more read aloud time, they want to talk about the book, make predictions, and connect with the book. It's like magic. Students are so focused on listening that they are so much more aware of the book! They're catching figurative language and hearing fluent reading and passing it onto their writing.

I feel like in a world where we are pummeled with technology, taking the time to go no-tech is incredibly important to their development. So while some teachers don't see the value of a read aloud, I will stubbornly squeeze in as much time to read aloud as I can.


Resources
Frey, S. (n.d.). Study says reading aloud to children, more than talking, builds literacy. Retrieved from https://edsource.org/2015/study-says-reading-aloud-to-children-more-than-talking-builds-literacy/82045

Print vs Digital Worksheets

Last year my classroom went 1:1 with Chromebooks. I instantly began researching the possibilities available for a 1:1 classroom. Beyond the Web 2.0 availability, I turned my attention to online worksheets. I found a wealth of possibilities from digital interactive notebooks to the utilization of Google Suite. In my excitement I switched almost entirely to digital worksheets. However, as the year progressed, I began to realize the value of having students write things out as well. It made me wonder about what a good ratio would be for digital vs. print worksheets.

• Is there really value left in print worksheets?
• What are the benefits of print worksheets? 
• What are the benefits of digital worksheets? 
• Which format best prepares our students for the future?
  

Back to School Checklist

In keeping with our back to school theme, let's look at a checklist of items to do before school starts. With teaching, preparation is key to a successful year. Here are 3 things you can do to make your year smoother.

1. Curriculum Map
 A curriculum map is a year-long map of what you will teach and when. This isn't a super detailed map, instead it is more of a general plan of addressing your standards throughout the year. My principal requires it so I found a few examples on Pinterest and Teachers-Pay-Teachers and ended up modifying this one. I print it off and have it posted above my desk to reference as I lesson plan each week.

2. First Week of School Team Building

Building a solid culture in your classroom is essential and the first week of school is where it all begins. By 5th grade, most of the students have had a class with almost everyone in the room. But students have changed and grown and it's important to bring them all together as a family.

 Here are two of my favorites:

• Index Card Challenge: In groups of 3, students get 100 index cards with the goal of building the tallest tower. They cannot use anything else, but they may fold or tear the cards. It must be completed in 3 minutes. 
• Save Sam: Place a lifesaver under a clear cup and put a gummy worm on top. Give students 2 paperclips. Their goal is to get the lifesaver around Sam the gummy worm to keep him from drowning (meaning he cannot touch the desk). 

3. Procedures

Having solid procedures in place can make or break your year. The first week of school, take the time to explain it, model it, show the wrong way, and have the students practice it. Introduce several procedures each day of the first week, cycling back through previous ones to practice. From simple things such as when to go to the bathroom to important ones such as safety procedures, they all need to be explicitly taught. Make a list and check it off as you teach each one.

Top 5 Back 2 School Read Alouds

It may be July, but it's not too soon to start planning your first week back to school. The first week of school is a critical time for setting the tone for the year. This is when rules, procedures, and the culture of the classroom are established. I've put together a list of my top 5 back to school read alouds to start the year off right. Even 5th graders LOVE to sit and listen to a picture book!

Here is a list of the books I read to my class the first week of school. Click on each picture to see it on Amazon.

 1. The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds

 This is a fantastic book about dealing with mistakes. It sets the tone for the whole year by starting the conversation about learning and growing.

2. First Day Jitters by Julie Danneberg

Everyone has jitters on the first day of school, whether out of excitement or fear. This book puts a fun spin on the stress of the first day of school buy having the teacher be the one that is scared to come to school. It will have your students giggling in no time.

3. My Mouth is a Volcano by Julia Cook

As a teacher, we've all had a few (or a lot) of students who struggle to know when the correct time to speak is. This book helps students to manage their mouths and know the appropriate times to talk.

4. What do you do with a problem? by Kobi Yamada

Growth Mindset is the buzz in the education world right now. It's all about teaching students perseverance when faced with things they struggle with. This book talks about facing your problems no matter how bad things seem.

5. The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires

I love this book! It's about a being creative, thinking of new ways of doing things, and sticking with it even when things get hard. Students can struggle with putting themselves out there and feeling accomplished even if it doesn't turn out how they expected it to. It's a great lead into a STEM project!


This post contains affiliate links.  All opinions are my own.

Welcome!

Welcome! My name is Amber and I am a 5th grade teacher in beautiful Idaho. As a teacher, I love to let my creative juices flow in order to create a fun and engaging environment for my students. In my classroom I work to teach my students to find the joy of learning, while building the necessary skills for success now and in the future. I like to teach students how to organize their school work, produce high quality work, and focus on having a growth mindset throughout their day.

In this blog I hope to create a space for teachers to find inspiration that enables them to enhance their lessons, classrooms, and lives. Teaching is hard work and adding a little color to our lives helps us get through the tough days and enjoy the amazing ones. As a third-year teacher, I know all too well the ups and downs of teaching as I continue to discover my personal teaching style. I found many teaching blogs (see my blog roll on the side!) to be a lifeline as I lesson planned, decorated my classroom, or worked to discover the perfect classroom management tool.