A tried-and-true instructional approach with documented evidence of impact across grade levels is the interactive read-aloud. In fact, it has long been argued that “the single most important activity for building the knowledge required for eventual success in reading is reading aloud to children” (Anderson et al., 1985). Reading aloud to students builds their vocabulary and background knowledge, improves comprehension, strengthens fluency, and allows students to find enjoyment in reading.
The key word here is “interactive.” An interactive read-aloud is a structured reading experience where the teacher reads a text aloud to students while engaging them in discussions to deepen comprehension and critical thinking. It involves intentional pauses for posing questions, making connections, and encouraging student responses to promote active participation and collaborative meaning-making. The teacher models fluent reading and thinking strategies, using purposeful dialogue to scaffold students’ understanding of vocabulary, themes, and concepts within the text. Let’s look at how to get the most out of interactive read-alouds.
What Do Experts Do?
Over 20 years ago (Fisher et al., 2004), we observed expert teachers in grades 3–8 while they read aloud to their students. They had been nominated for consideration for our study by school leaders who had observed them during this instructional routine. After interviewing 25 of them on three different occasions, we learned these expert teachers consistently displayed seven characteristic actions during read-alouds:
- Select the text: The text captures student interests and addresses a learning need of the class.
- Preview and practice reading the text: The read-aloud occurs at an appropriate rate with accuracy and expression because the teacher has practiced reading it in advance of the lesson.
- Establish a clear purpose: There is a clear goal for the reading, and teachers convey what they want students to learn, whether that be a concept or skill.
- Model fluent reading: The reading contains correct pronunciation, expression, and phrasing, in part because it was practiced but also because the teacher displays enthusiasm for the text.
- Hook readers with expression and animation: The experience is animated with hand gestures and facial expressions as well as variations in vocal patterns.
- Discuss the text: The experience is interactive in that students engage in conversations before, during and after the reading. The teacher has questions ready to guide the discussions.
- Connect the text to reading and writing: Following the read-aloud, students engage in tasks that allow them to practice and apply what they are learning. For instance, they could write a letter to a character offering advice or asking questions about the character’s choices, or they could compare and contrast the topic of an informational book with another topic or text they have studied.
Print Referencing in Primary
While our study looked at the practices of upper elementary and middle school teachers in their interactive read-aloud practices, newer research has focused on practices of unique importance with younger children. In addition to the essential practices related to reading comprehension, vocabulary, and fluency we outlined earlier, primary teachers add print referencing as a strategy to use during read-alouds. When print referencing, a teacher intentionally draws attention to the features of print, such as letters, words, punctuation, and the direction of text. This approach helps young children develop print awareness by pointing to words, discussing how to read from left to right, and highlighting the relationship between spoken and written language. It fosters early literacy skills by making the mechanics of reading explicit in an engaging and meaningful context (Zucker, Ward, & Justice, 2009). This practice includes:
- Asking questions about the text: “How many words are on this page?” “There are words in the wolf’s speech bubble; what do you think they say?”
- Making requests: “Show me where I would start reading on this page.” “Point to a letter that’s in your name.”
- Adding comments: “The illustrator wrote the word bus on this yellow school bus.” “I notice that both these words are exactly the same.”
- Noting concepts about print: “We track print from left to right while reading.” “Point to print.”
Whether teaching young readers or older students, we recommend that teachers integrate read-alouds into their daily practice. It’s an approach that has a long tradition of success, and there’s evidence that students remember these experiences for years.
Fostering Students’ Love of Reading
For teachers looking to strengthen their reading practice, integrating interactive read-alouds into daily instruction is a proven way to enhance student learning and engagement. Focus on selecting texts that align with student interests and learning needs and prepare by practicing the reading in advance to ensure fluency and expression. Emphasize interactive discussions that encourage critical thinking and make connections to other literacy tasks. For younger students, include print referencing strategies to build foundational literacy skills. These practices not only improve comprehension, vocabulary, and fluency but also foster a love for reading that students will carry with them for years.
Video Reflection: Interactive Read-Alouds in Action
Read-alouds are a powerful tool to boost comprehension and critical thinking. After watching the video, use this read-aloud rubric to guide your practice. Then, follow the steps below to bring effective read-alouds to your classroom.
- How do these teachers interact with the text and their students as part of the overall literacy and content area learning students are doing?
- How do these teachers gauge if their read-alouds are effective for students?
- Use the rubric we developed to identify the level of success your students have based on the read-aloud experience.
