It is not news to educators that kids have trouble paying attention. The allure and interactivity offered in televisions, tablets, and video games are tough to match. Consequently, reading scores have plummeted and educators say the joy has been sucked out of teaching. Rock Your Read Aloud brings back the joy and helps you create a read aloud experience that will have even the most reluctant of K-5 readers begging for just one more story.
A must read for every current or aspiring elementary teacher, librarian, and administrator, this book shows you why read alouds are critical to literacy education in today's media-saturated world. Inside, you'll find techniques for turning reading scores around in early elementary classrooms, so you can rediscover how rewarding teaching can be when students are engaged and learning. You can even link this book to the Novel Effect app to access a unique soundscape that will give you a taste of just how fun reading can be. - Discover how reading aloud to kids can improve reading scores and outcomes - Get tips for making your read alouds magical and igniting students' love of books - Motivate struggling readers by creating a culture of reading together - Learn about proven techniques like buddy reading and community read alouds
K-5 teachers, parents, administrators, librarians, and reading interventionists will gain insight and inspiration as Rock Your Read Aloud shows how to cut through the distraction and make reading fun again.
Table of Contents
Preface xi
Acknowledgments xiii
About the Authors xv
Introduction xvii
Part I The Art and Science of the Read Aloud 1
01 The Magic of the Read Aloud 3
02 Unleashing the Power of the Picture Book 17
03 “Game-changer”: Reading Aloud with Novel Effect Soundscapes 31
04 Your Reading Brain: The Foundations of Literacy 41
05 Developing Young Writers and Storytellers 57
06 Getting Ready to Rock Your Read Aloud 71
Part II Bringing Stories to Life 87
Interact 89
The Book with No Pictures 89
Press Here 93
This Book Just Ate My Dog! 97
Tap the Magic Tree 101
If You’re Scary and You Know It 105
Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus 108
Play This Book! 111
Laugh 115
Dragons Love Tacos 115
We Don’t Eat Our Classmates 119
The Wonky Donkey 123
The Serious Goose 127
Love and Connection 131
Love 131
Hair Love 135
Stellaluna 139
Love Monster 143
Owl Moon 147
Last Stop on Market Street 151
The Scarecrow 155
The Invisible String 159
The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend 163
Move and Play 167
Giraffes Can’t Dance 167
We Will Rock Our Classmates 171
Comfort and Acceptance 175
The Bad Seed 175
Be Who You Are 180
Imagine and Create 183
What Do You Do with an Idea? 183
The Dot 187
Rosie Revere, Engineer 191
Mae Among the Stars 195
The Most Magnificent Thing 198
Jabari Jumps 202
The Magical Yet 206
We Are Water Protectors 210
Shark Lady: The True Story of How Eugenie Clark Became the Ocean’s Most Fearless Scientist 214
First Day Jitters 218
Our Class Is a Family 222
Chrysanthemum 226
The Kissing Hand 231
The Day You Begin 235
Amy Wu and the Warm Welcome 240
Oh, the Places You’ll Go 244
Index 249
