At the start of the year, we read Patrick Carmen's Skeleton Creek (Book 1), a mysterious fiction novel that incorporates video into its storytelling. This book intrigued many students...they have now independently read on in the series!
As our next read aloud, I chose a non-fiction narrative (we are taking a closer look at non fiction in our guided reading groups right now).
When we doa read aloud, it provides me with the chance to model the comprehension strategies that students use when reading independently During independent reading time, when they have finished reading, they take out their Readers Notebooks and craft responses to a variety of reading comprehension tasks that are listed on the wall. There are almost 20 to choose from for fiction, 9 to chose from for non-fiction. Some examples include: make a prediction, make a connection, define a word you do not know, find synonyms, explore point of view, write a summery, determine the main idea, create a sound track for the story, give your opinion providing 3 points to support it, etc. etc.
When reading aloud, I can take the same tasks and model my own response as well as illicit several student responses to show different kinds of responding.
Also, it is a great way to share the joy of reading and the joy of shared experiences.
Our non-fiction read aloud right now is RUNNING TO EXTREMES, a biography of a Canadian man, Ray Zahab, who changed his way of life to pursue fitness...via ultramarathons. His first ultramarathon was the Yukon Ultra Marathon. His second was The Marathon De Sables in Morocco's Sahara Desert...next...well, we are just discovering his next race! To achieve his goals, he has to be resilient, determined, brave...and to avoid the negative self talk in his own mind that tells him he 'can't do it'.
Where in the world will Ray go next?!
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