Language is #1 for children, and literacy is the road to developing their language. I read picture books to children all the time, and chapter read at rest time. Books are always available to children. They become ‘good friends’ and are as popular as toys. Really.
I don’t know when I began reading chapter books aloud at rest time. It was one of those ‘teacher moments’ when it just felt right. So, I did, and it’s my favorite time of the day. Children are eager to hear ‘what happens next’. If you don’t know, the late Jim Trelease, author of the million-copy bestseller The Read-Aloud Handbook, the guru of reading aloud, visited my classroom to hear me read to children, especially at chapter reading.
But there’s more; the everyday constant, the precursor to chapter reading – Goodnight Moon.
I recite the book before chapter reading. It gets children ready to listen to words. The rhyming words and objects in the book are soothing and exciting. Think of Goodnight Moon as a warmup for the brain, much like a physical workout for a sports team- invigorating and a routine that is always comfortable.
When the school year starts, I spend many months reciting Goodnight Moon before chapter reading. Once the book is ingrained I change it, incorporating children’s names into the verse (“…there was Sam’s telephone, and a picture of Carla jumping over the moon…”). My goodness, the alert antenna are activated, and the words become even more important.
I often read the words to beats and rhythm. Jennie’s Rap is very popular. By springtime the children know the words, and the Helper of the Day can come up and recite the words along with Jennie. This is a big deal! Every child is excited, and many can say some of the words on their own. By the end of the school year, children are proud and strong, and a few can recite the entire book on their own.
This is remarkable for a child who is just four-years-old to recite an entire book, yet she has been listening to Goodnight Moon since September, listening to every picture book and every chapter reading book. That’s what happens to children who have a big blanket of ‘words’. By the way, those children do better in all academic areas in school.
“People would stand in line for days and pay hundreds of dollars if there were a pill that could do everything for a child that reading aloud does. It expands their interest in books, vocabulary, comprehension, grammar, and attention span. Simply put, it’s a free ‘oral vaccine’ for literacy.” ~Jim Trelease~
Thank goodness I get to read to children every day!
Jennie
Remember Sam?
A Teacher's Reflections 