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Effective storybook reading is an interactive process. If we wait until after reading to discuss the story, we are missing out on valuable literacy opportunities. When the reader precedes the reading by inviting predictions and personal connections, she is creating context for the reading. Taking time to discuss and clarify difficult concepts during the reading can prevent misunderstanding further on, and encouraging children to respond during the reading enhances both comprehension and interest in the story. Pausing to confirm and revise predictions, ask questions, and make inferences lay the groundwork for independent reading. Children learn that understanding text is a process that occurs before, during, and after reading.
| Before Reading |
- Preview the book and practice reading it with fluency and expression.
- Plan an introduction-find links to the children's personal experiences.
- Introduce the title, author, and illustrator.
- Introduce any information that may be necessary to facilitate understanding of the story.
- Set a purpose for listening to the story (e.g., "I wonder" statements, such as I wonder what the wolf wants to do with the pigs, provide focus for listening).
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Sample Read- Aloud Strategies: (printable PDFs) |
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| During Reading |
- Read fluently and expressively.
- Hold the books so the children can see the illustrations.
- Try to establish frequent eye contact with the children.
- Draw their attention to the illustrations and features of the text.
- Pause occasionally to revisit predictions, express curiosity, or comment on something interesting.
- Invite the students to question and comment but keep it focused on the story.
- Explain words and ideas you think the children might not understand.
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| After Reading |
- Allow time for discussion.
- Encourage various levels of response with questions.
- Make personal connections to the text (e.g., "What did this story remind you of ?").
- Retell the story or reread it to enhance comprehension.
Jamison Rog, Lori (2002). Early Literacy Instruction in Kindergarten. Interactive Storybook Reading: Making the Classroom Read-Aloud Program a Meaningful Experience, 6, 49-55. |
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