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I agree with everyone here that reading aloud is one of my favorite parts of the day. I love some of the ideas that were brought up here. My kids love read alouds so much already so many of these ideas that have been shared on this post can certainly help enhance that even more.

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I agree with everyone here. I am usually so focused on asking questions that I forget to think aloud. I will try to work on incorporating more think alouds in my classroom.

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Independent thinking can be beneficial to student learning because it helps make students more accountable for their own learning. I have to be sure that my students are comfortable with thinking aloud with the potential to have the wrong answer. Students need to understand that wrong answers are perfectly fine as long as they are wanting to learn. The strategy shown in the video is great and it gives students the time to think about what they want to say and not be intimidated by saying it in front of the entire class.

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I agree with Carly with 'beaming' in more volunteer readers. Giving the students an opportunity to listen to another readers ways of presenting a story.

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I agree with some of you folks too about independent thinking. Our little ones often want to take their friends thoughts and use them as their own, instead of thinking for themselves. We ARE trying to release that independence to them so that they can share their brainstorming and questions that they might have.

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I LOVE think alouds! It's a great strategy that we use quite often in Kindergarten. When it's difficult for these little ones to write their thoughts down, think alouds are a perfect opportunity for them to say out loud what they are thinking and how they are processing information. We use this across all areas of the curriculum. We use the reciprocal think alouds sometimes, but I would like to use them more.

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I love this strategy she used with her class! I liked how the students were encouraged to ask the student questions after they shared their answer. I like grouping students together and watching how they show each other different ways to solve a problem.

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Our students do have a hard time with independent thinking, they just want us to give them everything. Using the activating strategy is a great way to encourage this. As the teacher we need to step back and listen to the conversations within partners or groups. We need to let them talk things out and figure things out on their own and multiple ways of solving problems.

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I try to do Read Aloud with Math ans Science as much as possible.  I tend to do more with Science.  I read the book What would you do with a tail like that.  The students were engaged and involve during this read aloud by trying to guess the animals by their noses, feet, tails,  etc.   After the book,  students drew a picture of a new animal that they created by using different body parts from the book to create a unique animal.

I think I am going to try finding more books on Math related topics that I can play on the Smart board .

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I agree! Think Alouds would be a great tool to use in Guiding Reading groups to assess comprehension. It could also be a great tool to use in Math groups. When we do a multi-step word problem, I often ask students what do they think is the first step and why. What answer are we trying to solve and what is the answer. Does it make sense? By doing these strategies, I am asking my students to "think aloud" and tell me how they got their answer! You could even put students in groups and have them think aloud to discover the answer. What a great tool! Virginia Basnett

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I agree! Think Alouds would be a great tool to use in Guiding Reading groups to assess comprehension. It could also be a great tool to use in Math groups. When we do a multi-step word problem, I often ask students what do they think is the first step and why. What answer are we trying to solve and what is the answer. Does it make sense? By doing these strategies, I am asking my students to "think aloud" and tell me how they got their answer! You could even put students in groups and have them think aloud to discover the answer. What a great tool! Virginia Basnett

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Everyone loves a Read Aloud!! I remember Read Alouds from when I was a child. The excitement to find out what happens next was often the highlight of my day! I love the idea to ask parents to read aloud through skype or google hangout. It often makes me think of students whose parents are in the military and are deployed or work away from their home. What a great surprise to have a child's loved one read to the class through skype or google hangout. The time zones may be different, but you could share a previously recorded video. Parents would feel more involved in their child's education. And, the child will beam with pride!

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I agree with you that it would be interesting to have students model their own think alouds more frequently. It would be interesting to see what would happen to our learning environments if we created a culture of think alouds.

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I agree that there can often be an element of impatience! I think every kid needs and deserves their own think time to process information. I think finding ways to hold students accountable and allowing for time to share thoughts helps.

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I found these ideas to be really cool ways to get kids engaged in reading and read alouds. I know at the start of the school year,  I tried to dip into Global Read Aloud a little bit with The Wild Robot and joined the Facebook group where so many teachers from the US and around the globe were volunteering not just to communicate with classrooms to talk about text but to record themselves reading, so that made me think of maybe next year getting more involved and trying to "Beam in a Guest Reader!" I love the social media use because it teaches students how to be responsible on social media platforms as well! I use Epic a lot as a platform to blow up books to read on my SmartBoard, and my students love it!

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Students need proper think time through out the day with different activities. Some activities are more complex and will need more time than others.

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I agree with Dana thing alouds are a wonderful tool across grade levels. It does take teacher modeling and lots of practice for students to gain understanding of think alouds.

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Read aloud in Kindergarten is one to the most important times of the day. You teach so much through book. Children learn parts of a book, unknown vocabulary, how to read with expression and fluency. We have a lot of "turn and talk time" when we come to a special part or word in the book that is new to most children. One activity they really enjoy is to stop in the middle of a story and allow them to predict what might happen at the end. This activity can be turned into a great writing activity and they allow each child to record their ending of the story for their friend to listen to before finishing the story aloud. Read alouds are also a great teaching tools across the curriculum.

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Making our learning transparent for our students is so important. Having students think through the process as it is modeled and after it is modeled is a great learning tool. Modeling what students need to do not just telling them has become a very important part of my classroom with ELL's as well as other students this year.  Using the Think Aloud strategy could help all students understand expectations better, as well as have them truly thinking while they are working.

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The strategy used in the video was a great way to promote the independent thinking process. Turning and talking with their peers while the teacher listens and makes observations holds individual students accountable. Also students are more engaged it seemed. Independent thinking is so hard for our students. Our students today want to make sure they are right and  see what their peers have to say. I like Mary have used the wait to answer.

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Think Alouds are such an important tool with problem solving and comprehension.  I try to incorporate it as much as possible because I feel you can gain so much through self- reflection and student reflection. I agree having students use this tool during guided reading would be a great way to monitor comprehension.

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Read Alouds are one of the  best parts of our day. Like other folks I truly love them! The students are engaged and love to make predictions and use their schema to form them. We have great discussions that promote higher level thinking. Students have been also making great connections with our read alouds this year. I have also used digital texts in my classroom on the small screen and large screen. Students love tem. They are also enjoying utilizing EPIC in our classroom. My aha moment was using technology as an exit ticket. This would be wonderful if we were 1:1 in 4th grade. It would be an easier way to gather an informal assessment on skills and strategies that are being modeled. I do have students sketch while I am reading aloud. I do think it is important to make sure students are sketching for a purpose. It is great for  visualization and creating imagery using sensory words, However, it would be awesome to use the app for sketching while reading.

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This too reminded me of my student who spoke no English when he came last year.  We laughed a lot and demonstrated to each other in order to understand.  Finding a way to do that with everyone in all subjects would make for more fun and engaging learning.

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I think a lot of students have learned that if I wait long enough someone will do it for me.  Students who don't need that time get impatient and help them.  Everyone is in such a hurry.

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I do love Read Alouds.  It always makes great discussion.  It inspires students to read certain genres and authors or series as well.  Usually the students tell me Mrs. Teacher read that to us.  I think Skype or something of the like to have guest readers would be awesome.  I loved when Mary had the Dillon Boys read the first chapter of our One School One Book.

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Mary you are so right about wait time. Students who struggle with comprehension. Their processing is slower than other students and so it takes them longer. At times it seems I actually see their little minds processing the information and they are just on the cusp of pulling it all together.

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Like Dana I have a hard time modeling Think Alouds.  I'm so concentrated on getting all my questions in I forget to model Think Alouds.  The Think Alouds during guided reading groups Carly is a great idea!

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Like Dana I have a hard time modeling Think Alouds.  I'm so concentrated on getting all my questions in I forget to model Think Alouds.  The Think Alouds during guided reading groups Carly is a great idea!

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I like the Think Alouds.  I find it hard to always stop and say what I think instead of asking questions for the students to answer.  I agree with Carly, I think having the kids read and then think aloud during guided reading would be great discussion.

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AHA moment- Using the ChatterPixKids app would be a great idea when discussing historical figures.  My second graders know how to take a selfie better than I do.  I think my students would love to do something like this.  They are always asking to use the kindles.  This is a great way to incorporate technology into your lessons.  I have several who do not like to write and this would be a great way for them to do a response to a read aloud.

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It would be interesting to have students demonstrate their think alouds more frequently. This could be done easily in guided reading to show comprehension.

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I agree with Mary. Some students need far more wait time than others. I recognized this with several students last year and have tried to be better about allowing students to have time to process and get their answers out. Sometimes, this involves quieting other students who want to constantly speak out ahead of the others. Students need to realize that when their peers raise their hands and are called on, it is their opportunity to speak...even if it takes longer to formulate a response. I also have to learn more patience when giving that extra time.

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Our students really struggle with independent thinking. I think one thing we can do is give them time to answer the questions, before we rush in to fill in the blanks for them. Sometimes, they just need a bit longer to think, and there is nothing wrong with a bit of awkward silence.

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I agree with Carly, I am amazed at how quickly our ELL students are picking up math...it has to be the manipulative and demonstration.

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I model think aloud as a strategy way too much. My best friend is becoming concerned that I am talking to myself out loud way too much.

It is a great strategy, and I need to focus on having the students do it more .

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I truly love reading aloud, and will be glad to help anyone find the perfect read-aloud for your class. I like reading aloud short books from NCWISEOWL's ebook collection (ask me for a quick lesson in using it), EPIC books has some good ones, but I think the most creative use of tech and read-aloud's is Skype or Google Hangout. I tried Skype last year...it is not user friendly to set up, but Kathy Blades will be glad to help us. I would certainly be willing to try that again, if we can get the tech to cooperate.

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This article brought to mind some of my ELL students throughout the years. These students seem to have more success in math where you often teach by showing multiple strategies and use manipulatives to represent equations. Even students who don't have a language barrier can often excel when there is lots of demonstration. The think alouds are a great place to show a connection to text, even if students can't read the words on their own. I think I could do more of the think alouds in my daily read alouds to advance some/all of my students with critical thinking.

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I have used digital texts in my room and projected text larger to share in whole group settings!

I really like the idea of "beaming" in a guest reader. We recently face-timed with my friend who was on deployment in Cuba. Students loved getting to see his surroundings and talking with him in the classroom. It had a big impact on many students. I would like to try the same with a read aloud. I think friends, former colleagues, and others would be happy to share a favorite story with the class. The class would also enjoy the opportunity to explore outside of the room.

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Where could you use this in your daily lessons? How could you reach all of the students in your class using this model?

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I'm in Bali and for the last two weeks have been observing how Balinese children learn music, dance, and other arts. I've never been to a place where the arts were more integrated into daily life. In Ubud, the "cultural center of Bali," it's hard to walk down a street or spend a day without hearing or seeing some kind of artistic expression.

Much of this is connected to religious practices and takes place at the many temples on the island. This I expected. What surprises me is how children throw themselves onto every stage, into the laps of musicians, into the workshops of the carvers and painters and weavers. But perhaps "throws" is the wrong word -- I start to notice that they are pulled onto stages and laps and workshops.

Real-World Application

Early in our trip we wanted to learn something about Balinese gamelan and signed up for a day-long course. Our instructors spoke very little English. They taught by demonstrating, and motioning to us to copy them, and then by holding our hands and moving the hammer-like gavels over the xylophone. We didn't need much language and without it, I paid closer attention to the rhythms, the beats, and the sequences of notes.

Throughout our class other Balinese played along, helping to create the beautiful sounds of a Gamelan ensemble. Amongst these players was a boy of three or four who wandered up and plunked himself down first at an instrument that was full of symbols and then at a small, gong. He played, and then danced, and then pulled out a flute, played that, and then sat next to my son and tried to teach him percussive rhythms.

I wondered whose child he was as he moved from lap to lap, each Balinese adult laughing with him, encouraging him, clapping for him after he danced, and giving him instruction on his music as well.

I was captivated watching this little boy and my own son who was learning by doing -- and for a purpose and authentic application. I want this kind of learning to be a daily reality for the students in the schools where I work.

In the Classroom

Let me take a big leap now into what this reflection might mean for those who are still working within the 55-minute period. While this is far from what I envision schools to be, I know we can start taking steps towards integrating this concept, starting with a strategy as simple as the "think-aloud."

When I first started teaching English Language Arts to middle school students, a wise mentor encouraged me to share my writing practice with my students. "ELA teachers must be readers and writers themselves," she said, "so that they can make their process transparent to their students." She explained how to use the strategy think-aloud as students wrote first drafts.

I began to do them regularly in class as a way to determine a focus for my writing, how I revised it, and how I organized my thoughts. I did the same for reading, narrating the metacognitive processes I used to make sense of texts. I was surprised by how captivated my students were with these mini-lessons; those of us who teach middle-schoolers know that it's hard to captivate this audience! Then I saw the evidence show up in their writing; when we had a conference about a piece they were working on, they'd narrate their thoughts and use phrases I'd used, such as, "here, I want my audience to feel... ."

Why It Works

Now I recognize this strategy as one that parallels what I have been seeing in Bali. It's the old apprentice model, of course, but it can be adapted to our educational context today. This strategy can be applied to any content. It's about making our thinking transparent for kids, the steps we take to figure something out, and the ways in which our actions flow from this thinking. In this way, we are modeling what children need to do, not just telling them what to do.

Using a think-aloud strategy in all content areas, for all ages, is one step towards recovering an apprenticeship style of learning, something that has a legacy of great success and efficacy. Have you used a think-aloud lately? Please share with us in the comment section below.

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The Think-Aloud Strategy: An Oldie But Goodie

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I'm in Bali and for the last two weeks have been observing how Balinese children learn music, dance, and other arts. I've never been to a place where the arts were more integrated into daily life. In Ubud, the "cultural center of Bali," it's hard to walk down a street or spend a day without hearing or seeing some kind of artistic expression.

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Take a look at promoting independent thinking processes

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Take a look at promoting independent thinking processes

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How would this help students? Why

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Step Back: Promoting Independent Thinking

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What can teachers do to promote independent thinkers? Here are a few strategies that can easily be integrated into any lesson, no matter what grade level your students are in.

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How do you model your thought processes in different subjects?

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Think Aloud Strategy: Teaching Method for Reading (Grades K-12)

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The think-aloud strategy asks students to say out loud what they are thinking about when reading, solving math problems, or simply responding to questions posed by teachers or other students. This strategy makes an excellent addition to the learning methods taught in your curriculum.

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Which ones have you tried? Which ones are you willing to try?

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Whether it's remote guest readers, digital exit slips, or responses in text and drawing, technology can personalize the read-aloud experience for every student in class.

Photo credit: New Mexico State Library Snapshot Day 2015 via flickr (CC BY-ND 2.0)

Reading aloud to children is an essential part of the school day. Experiencing stories as a whole class or in a small group can help students learn essential reading skills. Educators who read aloud to children understand the importance of modeling thinking, providing opportunities to talk about books, and encouraging students to respond to reading with their own thoughts and opinions.

As schools increase the amount of technology available to teachers, educators are presented with unique opportunities to incorporate tech tools into their instruction. When teachers thoughtfully integrate technology, they make clear connections to learning objectives. Technology can enhance learning experiences by increasing the frequency and quality of interaction with a text. Here are a handful of tips for integrating tech tools into your next read-aloud.

Beam in a Guest Reader

With free video conferencing technology like Google Hangouts and Skype, it's easy to bring a parent, librarian, or author to your classroom. These virtual visitors can read a book to your students and hold each page up to the screen as they bring the story to life. Beaming in a guest reader is a great option to energize your read-aloud and get students excited about a special reading event.

Use the Big Screen

Making sure that all students in your class can see the words and illustration on each page of a read-aloud can be a challenge for teachers in rooms of any size. We're often used to leading a read-aloud with students sitting on a rug and the teacher sitting at the front of the classroom. If your classroom has a projector connected to a document camera, hold your read-aloud book so it is displayed on the big screen. This will make it easy for all students to follow along with the text and illustrations on the page.

Set Up an Online Exit Slip

After students have listened to a read-aloud, they can respond to comprehension questions or share their opinion through an exit slip on their tablet. Students might submit their answers on Socrative (a great, free BYOD tool that works on any web-enabled device) or post their responses in a forum that you're already using, like iTunes U or Schoology.

Try a Digital Text

Another way to make use of the big screen in your classroom is to introduce a digital text. Whether you've downloaded a book to your iPad or found a text hosted on a website, you can project this digital text on the big screen for students to follow along with the animations as you read. Many digital texts let users tap on specific words to hear them read aloud, or include background music to set the mood for the reader.

Sketch a Picture

A response to reading can take many forms. Instead of being asked to write in response to a read-aloud, children can answer a prompt or reflect on a book through illustrations. Adobe Sketch and Drawing with Carl are two great iPad apps that give students access to art tools on their tablets. You might ask them to bring the tablets to the rug and sketch a response to a question that you pose. Students can show their drawings to a neighbor or pass their devices in a circle to share with classmates.

Record a Response

Many laptops and tablets come equipped with a built-in camera. Easy access to a camera can provide a new opportunity for students to respond to what they've read. They can use the camera to record a short response to the book, or use an app like ChatterPix Kids or Tellagami to create a 30-second clip about their favorite part. These shareable creations might become part of a digital reading journal or something that is uploaded to a class blog.

Get Social

In a post last year, I shared how teachers can tweet the read-aloud. If you don't have a class Twitter account, you can still ask students to respond to reading in a similar fashion. Provide students with a prompt like these:

In 140 characters or less, tell one thing that surprised you in this book.

Snap a picture and write a caption for a faux-Instagram account showing your reaction to the ending of this book.

You'll create an opportunity for students to connect their classwork to popular real-world platforms.

In the comments below, share the ways that you've incorporated technology in your read-alouds.

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Whether it's remote guest readers, digital exit slips, or responses in text and drawing, technology can personalize the read-aloud experience for every student in class. Photo credit: New Mexico State Library Snapshot Day 2015 via flickr (CC BY-ND 2.0) Reading aloud to children is an essential part of the school day.