Text+Selection


 * Interactive Read-Alouds****Text Selection & High Quality Children's Literature** Initiated by Christy Duncan

The use of interactive read-alouds allows for teachers to model enthusiasm in reading, reinforce content area curriculum, and practice reading strategies. Not only should teachers choose books that students will enjoy and be engaged in, but teachers should select books they too will read with enthusiasm (Barrentine, 1996, p. 41). With this in mind, it is important that teachers choose just the right texts to use during this time. There are many features teachers should consider when selecting appropriate texts for interactive read-alouds.

Before selecting texts for interactive read-alouds, teachers should identify the goals they have for their students and the strategies they wish to incorporate, model, scaffold, and reinforce (Barrentine, 1996, p. 42). Various texts work well for different text features, story elements, and reading strategies. These can range from plot elements, creating inferences, summarizing, analyzing characters, questioning, and analyzing themes (Barrentine, 1996, p. 41-42). Linda Hoyt (2009, Strands & Standards section) has created a [|matrix]that includes reading standards and corresponding text selections for grade levels. For example, if a first grade teacher wanted to utilize students’ prior knowledge during the interactive read-aloud, she could click on the matrix and view the following suggestions: //Frog and Toad are Friends, Stellaluna, Olivia, Goodnight Moon, The Hello Goodbye Window, and Bentley Snowflake// (Hoyt, 2009,Strands & Standards section).

Interactive read-alouds provide teachers opportunities to submerge students into different genres, which include high-quality selections of poetry, nonfiction, and fiction (Fountas & Pinnell, 2001, p. 29). During this time, teachers often select picture books, short-stories, articles, and highly regarded chapter books in older grades. Barrentine (1996, p. 41) suggests selecting picture books that contain strong elements and rich language. According to Fountas and Pinnell (2001, p. 29), when making interactive read-aloud text selections, teachers should consider the following:

• Students’ interest inventories, students’ reading logs, and personal observations of what students prefer • Students’ background knowledge • Text that is slightly above most students’ reading levels • Text that is engaging • Text that will provide meaningful discussion based on topics, themes, and characters • Picture books with high-quality illustrations • Variety of genres throughout the year • Text that interests and engages the teacher so that enthusiasm will be easily modeled • Variety of engaging, shorter passages • Opportunities to explore and support the elements of poetry

Interactive read-alouds allow students to make connections with books. Teachers should consider the cultural backgrounds of students (Wiseman, 2011, p. 438). Through the reading and discussions, students will be able to make text-to-text, text-to-self, and text-to-world connections. When previewing texts, teachers should consider the predictions students will make based on their background knowledge and anticipate where they will need scaffolding (Barrentine, 1996, p. 42). During this time, it is important for teachers to draw upon their students’ interests to provoke engagement and conversations (Wiseman, 2011, p. 438). When considering text selections, Barrentine (1996, p. 41) also suggests that teachers avoid texts that are too simplistic or too difficult because they are less likely to keep students engaged in discussions.

References Barrentine, S.J. (1996). Engaging with reading through interactive read-alouds. //The Reading// //Teacher, 50//(1), 36-41.

Fountas, I. and Pinnell, G.S. (2001). //Guiding readers and writers: Teaching comprehension,// //genre, and content literacy.// Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Hoyt, L.B. (2009). Interactive read-alouds. Retrieved from [].

Wiseman, A. (2011). Interactive read alouds: Teachers and students constructing knowledge and literacy together. //Early Childhood Education Journal// (38), 431–438.