How to Help Students Reading Aloud
Reading aloud helps students learn to read smoothly, building skills of fluency, continuity and confidence. Encouraging young students to read aloud will help them comprehend what they are reading. Many students, however, especially beginning readers, hesitate to read aloud out of fear of embarrassment. To help your students read aloud, follow these steps.
Instructions
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1
Assign reading as homework the night before it is to be read aloud in class. This allows time for students to get comfortable with the material ahead of time. Encourage students to read the material silently several times, and then to try reading a paragraph or two aloud.
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2
Solicit volunteers for reading aloud in class. If no one volunteers, select a student to begin. Choose one whose reading skills are average, so less skilled readers won't be intimidated.
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3
Invite the class to respond to what the first reader read aloud by sharing reactions or asking questions. This allows everyone to get involved, and helps students see reading as a process. It will also help you gauge students' comprehension and retention of what they have read.
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4
Repeat Steps 2 and 3 until you have covered the assigned reading. Provide help as needed with pronunciation and pacing, and be sure to compliment students' efforts.
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5
Give every student the chance to read aloud over the course of the school week. You may use incentives, such as stickers or other rewards, as well as praise to motivate reluctant readers. Gradually taper off the incentives as all students gain confidence and volunteer to read aloud.
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Tips & Warnings
Incorporate reading aloud into other activities that children find more enjoyable, such as playing learning games. Ask volunteers to read instructions or ask trivia questions.
Vary the material that students read aloud. Poems, plays and song lyrics give students the chance to practice reading with feeling.
Encourage students to record themselves reading aloud to hear how they sound. With very young learners, you can make this fun by having students pretend they are on TV or the radio.
Don't make reading aloud the only determinant of students' reading proficiency. Leave room for individual preferences and abilities, which will vary from student to student.
Never criticize students' reading aloud harshly. Do not tolerate mocking or other negative behavior among students.
