Interactive Read Alouds

An Essential Strategy in Every Primary Classroom

 Presenters

Gracie Brittain Katie Boyd Jana Guadalupe

 Where we are headed...

Reflection Key Components Application Resources

What have your What is included What would this Our gift to you!
experiences with in an Interactive look like in the
read alouds been Read Aloud? classroom?
like?
 Reflect

01 02
Think of a time when What were the
your teacher read to you components that made it
and you thoroughly memorable?
enjoyed it

03 04
What grade were you in? Share your thoughts in
the chat box!
 What is an interactive read aloud?

A whole group instructional context where teachers and students

engage in constructing meaning together. Effective teachers use
interactive read alouds of both narrative and informational texts as
valuable learning tools
 “An Interactive read-aloud is the foundation of a
community that shares literary understandings through
thinking and talking together.”
– Irene C. Fountas and Gay Su Pinnell
 What does an Interactive Read Aloud Look Like?

Students are Students can Teacher sits at the Allow space for
seated easily see and front, students students to turn
comfortably hear face teacher and talk
 5 Key Components of an Interactive Read-Aloud

1 2 3 4 5

Introduction Vocabulary 3 Questions Strategic pauses “Why” Question

for discussion
 01
Introduction
Plan an interesting introduction for
the text to gain student interest
and focus their attention on the
“big ideas” of the particular text.
 2. Vocabulary

Select 5-10 vocabulary words to introduce.

Insert a phrase while Point to the best Use gestures or

reading to define a place in the dramatic movements
word or concept you illustration to show to help students gain a
want the students to what you mean clearer understanding
know. of the concept
 Think of 3 questions to ask at strategic
moments during the reading. Make
predictions and connections!

You might also build on the craft of the

3. 3 Questions writer.
 4. Strategic Pauses for Discussion

Practice reading the text, and think about appropriate

places to pause for discussion.

Pause for comments and discussion while reading as you

introduce new vocabulary, ask questions, and help
students build reading-writing connections.
 5. Why Question
Plan one challenging “why” question to ask following the reading
to scaffold students’ reconstruction of possible meanings.

Examples:

● Why is Sam I Am trying to convince his friend to eat green eggs and
ham?
● Why does Sam I Am’s friend say no to trying the green eggs and
ham?
● In these examples, the why question is deepening the student’s
comprehension of the text.
 Importance of Questioning

Questioning Techniques Modeling

Questioning techniques help Teachers who model how to ask

students to clarify and questions while reading help

comprehend what they are children to learn how to build

reading. interest with the text and become

stronger readers

Struggling readers tend not to ask questions of

themselves or the text as they read.

 Researched-Based Benefits

Increases Attention Span

This encourages children to listen, pay attention, and concentrate, which after a
while can increase their overall attention span.

Builds Classroom Community

The quality time spent together promotes bonding and strengthens
relationships, making it easier for children to develop their social,
communication, and interpersonal skills.
 Research Based Benefits Continued

Enhances imagination, creativity, memory, and curiosity

Students are opened to new ideas. Imagination can be practiced as the
students are being read to.

Gives experiences with language that requires students to make sense of ideas
Listening to others read develops key understanding and skills, such as
an appreciation for how a story is written and familiarity with book
conventions. Children can listen on a higher language level than they can
read, so reading aloud makes complex ideas more accessible
“Reading aloud to students frees them from
struggling with vocabulary and decoding, so
they can enjoy the text and get into a book.”
—Valentina ESL—
 Adapting Interactive Read Alouds to K-2
Early Literacy Components

Phonological Awareness: hearing the smaller sounds in words

(environmental sounds, rhyming)

Print Awareness/Concepts: how print works, how books work

Vocabulary: recognizing words and knowing the meaning of words

Background Knowledge: information the child knows about the world

(prior experiences or content knowledge)

Motivation: child’s interest in and enjoyment of books and reading

Story Structure: understanding how stories work

 5 Key Components
Introduction

Vocabulary
3 Questions

Strategic Pauses for

Discussion “Why” Question
Dr. Bradley’s Demonstration
Discussion
 WooClap Word Cloud

01 02
Go to wooclap.com Send in key words that
Enter in code at the top describe an interactive
of the website: CSSKEN read aloud
Resources
 THANK YOU!
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 Works Cited

Interactive read-alouds in the classroom. (n.d.). Retrieved April 22, 2021, from
https://www.kaplanco.com/ii/interactive-read-alouds

Interactive read-alouds in the classroom. (n.d.). Retrieved April 22, 2021, from
https://www.kaplanco.com/ii/interactive-read-alouds

Reading aloud to build comprehension. (2018, August 16). Retrieved April 22, 2021, from
https://www.readingrockets.org/article/reading-aloud-build-comprehension

Team, F. (n.d.). What is INTERACTIVE READ-ALOUD? Retrieved April 22, 2021, from
https://fpblog.fountasandpinnell.com/what-is-interactive-read-aloud