Read-alouds are discussed in Molly Ness‘ Read Aloud For All Learners (2024). Read-alouds offer many benefits to children of all ages, including enhanced vocabulary, literacy skills, reading identity, and critical thinking (Ness, p. 4).
One quote that resonated with me from Ness was “All students (and younger children) need the experience of having an adult read to them to access the benefits of read-alouds. Outside school, read alouds may not be routine occurrences for all students.” (p. 13). Growing up, one of my favourite things was listening to stories read by my parents, which increased my love of reading. It reminds me that not every child has this opportunity outside of school. Because of this, I hope to incorporate regular into read-alouds in my future classroom so all students can experience the joy and benefits of listening to stories!
Read-Aloud Planning
The read-aloud I am focusing this reflection on was from my lesson with my upcoming practicum Grade 1/2 class. Below I have attached my completed Read Aloud Planning Template (Ness, p. 102).
The lesson was based off the book Wildflower written by Melanie Brown and illustrated by Sara Gillingham. The story takes place in a garden where the main character, Daisy, struggles to feel like she belongs after being called a weed by other flowers. By the end of the book, Daisy learns that she belongs just as much as the other flowers and that everyone has a purpose.
This book was so perfect to anchor the ELA, art, and social-emotional learning activity where students got to celebrate what makes them, uniquely themselves!
B.C. ELA Curricular Connections & FPPL
Core Competencies: Positive Personal and Cultural Identity
ELA Big Idea: Stories and other texts help us learn about ourselves and our families.
ELA Curricular Competencies: Create stories and other texts to deepen awareness of self, family, and community
ELA Content: oral language strategies, letter formation
First Peoples Principles of Learning: Learning requires exploration of one‘s identity.
Read Aloud Experience
After reading the book we had a class discussion about Daisy’s experience in the garden. Next, we brainstormed ideas about our own uniqueness. I modelled creating the handprint flower and discussing what made me unique.
The students were all very engaged in the story and art activity, which made this experience very rewarding!
We concluded the lesson with a class reveal where we discussed how special it is that everyone in the classroom community is unique in their own ways and yet we all belong – ready to learn and grow together!
Reflection
Several things helped make this lesson successful: having materials prepared ahead of time, clear visual instructions, and brainstorming ideas together so all learners could participate. Support from the EA and teacher was also very helpful. I also reminded students that their work did not need to be perfect and encouraged them to simply try their best.
One thing I would adjust next time is reinforcing the five-word limit for the handprint activity. Some students included many details, which made their small handprints difficult to read. In the future, I would add an optional extension activity where students could elaborate on their ideas if they wished to.
Overall, these read aloud experiences highlighted the power of sharing stories with students. The classes were highly engaged and made meaningful connections during the follow-up activities. I’m very grateful to the teachers and staff who welcomes us into their classrooms and supported this experience.