Hi, everyone. You’re listening to part three of our interactive Read Aloud series. So far, we’ve covered strategic lesson planning and how to choose books with purpose. You’ve learned how to maximize your planning time and make confident book selections. So today we’re tackling something many teachers also struggle with, delivering the lesson with confidence.
We’ll build on the foundations from our previous episodes to help you feel prepared and excited about every Read Aloud. If you haven’t caught the first two episodes on planning and book selection, be sure to go back and check those out. So, you know that moment when you’re holding a book in front of your class and your mind is racing with a million thoughts?
Am I reading too fast? Should I stop here? Did I pronounce that right? Are they even listening? I hear you. In fact, when I surveyed a group of teachers, delivery confidence was one of the top struggles that was shared. So today we’re breaking down exactly how to deliver your interactive read aloud with confidence, and can I just say, this is my favorite part.
I truly believe this is where the magic happens, when we get to bring stories to life for our students. So before we dive into the actual reading, let’s talk about setting up your space for success. Now, while you can do read alouds at students desks, and trust me, I’ve done this during snack time when I was desperate to fit it in, but I strongly recommend using your carpet or whole group area.
It creates this wonderful, intimate atmosphere that just makes the interaction so much more natural. I call this the power introduction. Here’s what it looks like. First, gather your students close. Remember, proximity is power. Show them the cover. Share the title, author, and illustrator. But here’s the key.
Don’t just state those things. Make them exciting. Friends, I am so excited to share this book with you today. When I first saw this cover, it made me think of Now, this is where many teachers rush, but I want you to slow down. Take a moment to build anticipation. Ask your students what they notice about the cover.
What do they think the story might be about? These initial predictions get their minds working and build investment in the story.
Now, let’s talk about one of the biggest struggles I hear from teachers. When to stop and ask questions. Here’s my favorite trick that has transformed my read alouds. My sticky note strategy. Before you read, place brightly colored sticky notes with your questions right on the pages where you want to stop.
This way, you’re not trying to remember your questions or disrupting the flow of your reading to think of what to ask,
but here’s the crucial part, less is more. One of the biggest mistakes I see teachers making, I’ve done this too, is stopping too frequently. Remember, we want to maintain the magic of the story, so I recommend no more than three to four strategic stops for a picture book. Now comes the really fun part, the actual reading.
And yes, I mean reading. And not just reading, but we all know it’s a bit of a performance. I know many of you worry about this part. Do I sound silly doing different voices? If I’m reading too fast, too slow? But here’s what I want you to remember. Enthusiasm is contagious. Your students will be far more engaged by an imperfect but enthusiastic reading than a perfect but flat one.
So think about your favorite read aloud teacher for when you were a student. What made them memorable? It wasn’t their perfect pronunciation. It was their ability to bring the story to life. So here are my top three tips for delivery. Number one, pace yourself. Read slightly slower than your natural speaking voice.
And this is hard for me. I come from New England. We tend to talk fast. So that was what I always had to remember. I even had my students tell me, Miss Susie, you’re reading way too fast, and I can’t understand you. They called me up on more than one occasion. Number two, use your voice as a tool. Vary your volume and tone to match the story’s mood.
This will definitely build that engagement for your students. And number three, take natural pauses. Give students time to process the reading and the illustrations, because we know that’s definitely their favorite part.
Now let’s talk about one of the most important parts of your read aloud success, your classroom setup and management. This isn’t just about keeping control, it’s about creating an environment where every student can fully engage with the story. First, assign turn and talk partners from day one. Trust me on this.
It will save you from that dreaded find a partner chaos when you end up with groups of four, that one student without a partner,
and precious minutes lost to sorting it all out.
I often used to use literacy partners who work together regularly, which means they’re already comfortable with each other and can make deeper connections to their shared reading experiences. And for our English language learners or students who might be hesitant to share, here’s a pro tip. Put them in groups of three.
This gives them strong language models while ensuring everyone has someone to talk with. It’s amazing to watch their confidence grow over time. When it comes to managing the actual reading time, set clear expectations from the beginning. I like to say something like, readers, we’re going to have specific moments to share our thinking.
When you see me give our special signal, sometimes I would use the quiet peace sign, that’s when we’ll turn and talk to share our thoughts. This way, students know they’ll have a chance to share, but they won’t disrupt the flow of the story. Remember those sticky notes we talked about? Those are your designated sharing moments.
And before we wrap up, let’s talk about think alouts. These are moments when you pause to share your own thinking about the text. The key is to keep them brief and focused. For example, hmm, notice how the illustrator used dark colors on this page. That makes me think the character might be feeling sad.
Think alouds are powerful because they model what good readers do naturally. Remember, you don’t need to think aloud on every page. Choose two to three strategic moments that align with your teaching point.
And here’s something really important. Don’t feel pressured to finish the book in one sitting. I typically stop five to six times during a read aloud for various purposes, and if you only have 10 to 15 minutes, that might not be enough time to read the story and provide appropriate time to talk. It’s absolutely okay to continue the book tomorrow.
Remember, we want quality over rushing through. So let’s recap our key strategies for confident delivery. Create an intimate reading space on the carpet when possible. Assign reading partners from day one. Have materials ready before students gather, such as sticky notes, pencils, etc. Place your sticky notes strategically for your stopping points inside the book ahead of time.
Read with enthusiasm. Use groups of three for ELL and hesitant speakers. And take your time. It’s okay to spread the book over multiple days. Remember, the goal isn’t perfection, it’s connection. We want to give our kids a love of reading, and it starts with these magical moments when we read aloud to them.
Your students will remember how the story made them feel long after they forget the specific words you used. Next week, we’re going to continue our series on interactive read alouds by discussing how to engage all your students in the lesson. But before you head back to your classroom, I have something special that’s going to transform your read aloud planning time.
I created a free guide called 50 Picture Books Every Classroom Needs, and it’s a lot more than just a book list.
Inside it, you’ll find ready to use discussion questions for each reading strategy, thinking prompts for your students, and practical tips for teaching these strategies with any book in your classroom library. So to grab your free guide, visit thecolorfulapple. com forward slash 50 books to sign up.
That’s TheColorfulApple. com forward slash 5 0 books. It’ll be delivered right to your inbox, ready to help you plan meaningful, engaging read alouds that you can feel confident about. Think of it as your read aloud cheat sheet because we all know that teaching is challenging enough without having to reinvent the wheel every time we pick up a picture book.
And speaking of picture books, for our interactive read aloud series, I am sharing books to teach different reading strategies. This week we’re going to focus on teaching main idea. So I’ll share with you the book, the author, and the main idea of the book so that you can take that into your classroom to develop a lesson on it.
The first one is A Chair for My Mother by Vera B. Williams. In this book, a family saves money for a comfortable chair after their home and belongings are destroyed by a fire. Next, I have The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew DeWalt. Duncan learns his crayons have different needs when they communicate their problems with how he treats them.
The third book for teaching main idea is The Bad Seed by Jory John. In this book, a seed acts badly because others think it’s bad, but realizes it’s never too late to change its behavior, even if others still do judge it. Another book would be The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds. In this story, a teacher gives a frustrated girl the confidence to be creative and believe in herself and her talents.
And the last book that I have to share with you for teaching theme is Last Stop on Market Street by Matt De La Pena. CJ’s Nana teaches him to appreciate his surroundings and what he has, rather than wanting what others have. Thank you so much for joining me today in the Read Aloud Classroom. If you found value in this episode, I’d love if you’d subscribe and leave a positive five star review.
This helps spread the word to other teachers just like you. And, come connect with me on Instagram at The Colorful Apple and find all the links and resources mentioned today at TheColorfulApple. com. I can’t wait to see you next week in the Read Aloud Classroom.
