Lit World, an organization that is dedicated to the mission of strengthening kids and communities through the power of stories, deems the first Wednesday in February each year as World Read Aloud Day. At Bernard Zell, we cherish the opportunity to celebrate reading aloud every chance we get, and happily participated in this special day on February 3, 2021. Of course, this year, we took the event virtual! Teachers from all over the school Zoomed into different classrooms to share read alouds with students. It’s always exciting for students to see which special teacher will visit their classroom, and it is a true treat for teachers to share the gift of reading aloud with new students. We also celebrate students reading aloud on this day, both to themselves to each other!
Often, as young students grow more capable with independent reading, we have to work double-time to continue the important exposure to read alouds. It is our intention in Lower School to keep the power of reading aloud alive! The benefits are many: increased vocabulary, reading comprehension, fluency, cognition, attention span and connection between spoken and written words. And of course, maybe the most important: enjoyment! There is myriad research suggesting that reading aloud reaches its maximum potency when it includes a balance of fiction and non-fiction, exposing children to text structures and literacy elements they will at one point need to command on their own. In order to grow the most competent and successful readers, we need to give them opportunities to listen and reflect on a wide range of genres. One exciting, COVID-friendly initiative we have taken this year that supports these interests is our weekly Biography Break, imagined by our outstanding librarians, Rena Citrin and Andie Townhouse. Each week, a different staff member reads a biography, which is posted and shared across the school for all ages to enjoy. Here are two samples to check out:
After recently reading this New York Times article featuring a magical reading teacher, I was inspired to share with our community how much we value the practice of reading aloud, in hopes of encouraging your family to actively participate in your children’s reading growth and the enjoyment that shared reading brings!
