The Power of Read Alouds
Read Aloud and the Science of Reading
The research is clear:
A strong vocabulary leads to strong comprehension
Most language acquisition is a result of exposure
Read aloud is a powerful way to build vocabulary and knowledge
The Power of Read Aloud and the JOY it Brings
Amanda and I strongly believe in the power of read aloud and the joy it brings to students. It is our mission to bring children the best new books while we build vocabulary, deepen comprehension, and explore author’s craft. This month, we’d like you to think beyond the student-friendly definitions and games to connect to what we also know about brain science.
Phonics. Read Aloud. JOY. Sounds like a secret sauce to me.
Maryanne Wolf, author of Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain and Reader, Come Home: The Reading Brain in a Digital World, is the Director of the Center for Dyslexia, Diverse Learners, and Social Justice at the UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies. She is known for her research on dyslexia and the reading brain circuit. Last month, she discussed our reading brain during Mossflower’s Supper Club. During that hour, she repeatedly referred to what she considers to be essentials:
Phonics needs to be explicit and systematic, but always connected to meaning.
Phonics is essential, but it is also essential to never disconnect from the other parts of language: syntax, semantics, and morphology.
We need to think of foundational skills in an expanded way. Instruction must be integrated. We need application of phonics in decodables AND read aloud. “No cherry-picking!”
Phonics instruction can never be at the expense of story.
We cannot lose the JOY of reading. The apex is fluent comprehension and JOY.
