Reading to children is a crucial part of teaching reading.
It improves reading comprehension by developing listening comprehension and building background knowledge.
It strengthens language development by exposing children to the distinctive vocabulary and grammar of written language.
It is a vehicle for modeling meta-cognitive strategies — how a reader thinks about and interacts with text.
It promotes a love of reading and learning.
Young readers understand much more than they can read, so aim for quality and variety when choosing books.
Go beyond what children themselves can decode.
Read a variety of genres (fantasy, poetry, nonfiction) and text structures, as well as books that reflect a variety of cultures and backgrounds.
Include books connected to the content area objectives and topics unique to your setting.
Your instructional goals and your students’ unique needs should drive Read-Aloud selection, but here are some of our favorites that work well with the PAF sequence!
The purpose of all these recommended read-alouds is to augment the discussion of the PAF books.
Some expand background knowledge, particularly for nonfiction selections in the PAF readers.
Some provide additional vocabulary and context for the narratives.
Some familiarize children with literacy knowledge and story grammar as seen in folktales and fables.
