In this article, Morrison and Wlodarczyk discussed that read-alouds worked to improve comprehension in first graders. Modeling reading skills helped these youngsters make connections to the text, and become more invested in reading. Hearing stories read aloud builds vocabulary, promotes engagement , and allows the teacher to use "think-alouds" to model comprehension strategies.
As I began reading this article, I was afraid that I would find no relevance in it to apply to teaching high school students. However, the more I read the more I realized that my students are not all that different from their younger counterparts. I read aloud ALOT in my pull-out literature classes. If I didn't my students would not read the selections that they must in class. They simply won't. It's a lot like Barb and the basketball analogy. The reading passages are often out of their skill range and they find them frustrating and boring. So, they stomp their proverbial feet and either pretend to read or just flat-out refuse. Generally, if I read aloud-- at least part of the assignment, that will spur them to read parts of it themselves. I have actually heard teachers-- literature teachers-- say that they refuse to read aloud to a high school student. Then, they wonder why their failure rate is so high. Really?! Even "good" readers will only actively read what they are interested and invested in reading.
Miller (2002) provided concrete examples of ways to model text-to-text, text-to-self, and text-to world connections while reading aloud to students. This can be done before, during , and after reading the selection. I found several of these suggestions to be something I will be more conscious of doing as I read through an assignment with my students. My goal is always to help them gain reading skills even as I am teaching them literary standards.
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