Being an elementary school teacher, I make Story Time or Reading Aloud a part of my daily schedule. I enjoy reading to my class and they look forward to hearing a new story each day. What I choose to read to my class depends on several factors. I may choose to read stories that relate to a particular theme that we are studying in Science, Social Studies, or Health. I may also choose to read stories for the week written by one author. This is known as Author Studies. This is my favorite way to introduce stories. Sometimes I may read the same story later when it relates to a particular theme.
When choosing books to read aloud to your class, you need to consider several points. First, you need to consider the length of the book. Children in Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten have difficulty following a story if is lengthy. They lose interest and their interest in any reading dwindles. Children in these grades also like stories that are fast paced and have rhyming patterns. As a child enters first and second grades, the length of the books can increase. Children may become interested in listening to Chapter Books. They get involved in the plot and are eager to predict what will happen in the next chapter. Some students may even attempt to read chapter books independently.
Reading to a group of children has many benefits. It increases children’s listening comprehension. When a child develops listening comprehension, he will be capable of reading more independently. When a child reads independently, he learns to appreciate it more and becomes involved in reading for pleasure and for information. Reading to children can also improve vocabulary. You can talk about what words mean. You may choose to list unfamiliar words on the board and review them as often as you wish.
Choosing books to read to children should be done with thought and care. You should familiarize yourself with the story. Read the story aloud to yourself. Imagine yourself listening to the story. If you become bored and lose interest in the story then set it aside and try it again at a later date. You want a story that will capture the attention of your class and one that will make you read it with feeling.
The following lists are authors and their books that have reached the minds and hearts of teachers and students throughout the years.
Short Stories:
Laura Numeroff: If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, If You Give a Moose A Muffin, If You Give a Pig a Pancake, If You Take a Mouse to School, When Sheep Sleep
Leo Leonnie: Swimmy, Alexander and the Wind Up Mouse, Frederick, Little Blue and Little Yellow, Inch by Inch
Eric Carle: Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See?, Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear?, Baby Bear, Baby Bear, What Do You See? The Very Hungry Caterpillar, The Grouchy Ladybug, The Very Lonely Firefly
Chapter Books:
Barbara Park: Junie B. Jones series.
Beverly Cleary: Beezus and Ramona, Ramona the Pest, Henry Huggins, Henry and Ribsy
Reading aloud to children with appropriate books can create imagination and a positive attitude toward reading.