Reading Aloud: The Benefits for Emergent Readers



Reading Aloud: The Benefits for Emergent Readers

Reading aloud to children is one of my favorite activities as a classroom teacher and a mother. I was interested in finding out the specific benefits of reading aloud children’s literature to emergent readers. I was not surprised to find that research proves reading aloud to be more than an enjoyable experience. However, I was surprised to find the extent of the benefits of reading aloud to children. It is very beneficial, especially to emergent readers and young children. In a recent article (Hall and Moats, 2000) I found that reading aloud helps emergent readers develop background knowledge about various content areas, build a strong vocabulary, build familiarity with the story structure, understand the reading process and instill a love for reading and literature.

One of the greatest benefits of reading aloud to emergent readers is building a child’s background knowledge. Hall and Moats (2000) point out that when a child hears a story that child becomes familiar with a variety of settings or “environments” and all the pictures or “images” of things that might happen in that particular setting or “environment” (p.27). When that child encounters an unknown word when reading on his own about that same topic, he has a storehouse of “images” to pull from (p.28). That child can use this background knowledge to help him or her determine that unknown word. In 1986, Chew points out that reading aloud “expands the child’s knowledge base”(p.5). Children learn scientific concepts, about other cultures and times, and learn mathematical concepts. Chew expands on this by showing how on particular book (The Very Hungry Caterpillar written by Eric Carle) teaches a child about the scientific concept of the life cycle of a butterfly and the mathematical concept of counting. In Mem Fox’s book Reading Magic (2001), she talks about background or general knowledge as “ the third secret of reading” (p. 99). Fox says, “the more we know about life, the universe, and everything, the easier it is to read” (p.99). Teachers and parents supply this information about everything to children by reading aloud. Fox points out that reading more difficult stories aloud to children especially ones that they cannot read for themselves expands their background knowledge. Fox says the following:

…The more we read aloud to our kids and the more they read by themselves, the more experience they’ll have of the world through the things they encounter in books. And the more experience they have of the world the, the easier it will be to read. (p.100)

Reading aloud to emergent readers builds their vocabulary, which is beneficial to children as they are learning to read. Hall and Moats (2000) point out that a child with a vast listening and speaking vocabulary has an advantage over a child with a limited vocabulary when learning to read. Reading aloud to children introduces them to a variety of new and wonderful words and builds a child’s listening and speaking vocabulary, thus helping emergent readers learn to read. Hall and Moats talk about the “big mental dictionary” (p. 29) that children acquire from being read to. They also point out how this “mental dictionary” (Hall and Moats, 2000,p.29) helps children to comprehend what they read and build reading fluency. In 1994 Saban says that children become more familiar with books and their language when they have had “reading aloud”(p. 24) experiences. Saban points out “a new book means new words and new pictures, hence, a new experience for children with the outside world”(p. 24).

The patterns, rhymes, and book language or written language which children are exposed to through reading aloud helps emergent readers to develop reading skills. Hall and Moats (2000) explain that book language or written language differs from speech. Sentences are more complicated in books because of clauses and conjunctions that writers use to help express their ideas on paper. We can conclude that reading aloud to children is therefore vital to helping them understand and comprehend book language as they learn to read for themselves. Hall and Moats say that children who have been read to have developed an “ear”(p.30) for written language and understand book language. These children with an “ear” for written language have a definite advantage when learning to read on their own. Fox (2001) says that the “second magic of reading is language”(p. 83). She says that children who have not been read to do not understand that the print on the page should make sense. These children with limited experiences of being read to have a difficult time learning to read because they have not experienced the “sense in written language- the sense of rhymes, the sense of stories, the sense of songs, the sounds of unusual words, the unfamiliar formal grammar of written sentences, and the way sentences work” (Fox, 2001, p.93).

Chew (1986) points out in his research that many classic read alouds have similarities of story patterns and repetition, which help emergent readers on the road to literacy. Chew mentions two classic stories The Gingerbread Man and I Know an Old Lady, as two good examples of this type of children’s literature. As these types of stories are read aloud children will begin to memorize and read along during these repetitive, predictable parts. We can conclude that the more often these type of stories are read to children the more likely children will be able to read them for themselves. They also will become familiar with rhymes and be better predictors in their own reading. Lehr’s 1988 research shows that children who have had many read aloud experiences at a very young age learn language, the structure of stories, and syntax well before any type of formal reading instruction begins. We can conclude from these findings that reading aloud often in the classroom to emergent readers will help them to develop these same skills.

Another benefit of reading aloud is that children will develop a good, strong sense of story structure. Hall and Moats (2000) say that children who have a good sense of story structure from hearing may stories read to them have an advantage when they are learning to read. These children understand that stories have some commonalities and know what to expect. Hall and Moats list some of the common characteristics of stories as:

• The story has a title

• There are characters (main character)

• The story takes place in a setting (time or place)

• The characters usually have a problem to solve

• The action hinges on how the problem is solved

• There’s a resolution (climax) in the story before it ends

• Language is used to create the effect of surprise, sadness, climax or humor (p.30).

Nistler (1987) points out in his article that learning to expect these story elements helps emergent readers with comprehension. He says that children who have been read to can make better predictions about what will come next when they read to themselves. Butler (1980) says that reading scores improve as a result of a regular reading aloud program. She sites research from McCormick (1977) stating that there is a direct correlation between reading aloud and children’s reading performance, interest in reading and the development of their language. She also sites Raftery (1974) who used the Metropolitan Achievement Test in Reading for pre and post testing of 353-second graders in a heterogeneous group. Raftery found that the children who were read to made gains in reading comprehension, word discrimination, and word knowledge when compared to a control group. In this particular study library books were placed in the classroom to supplement the basal reading program. We can conclude from these studies that reading aloud improves a child’s reading comprehension, thus improving test scores because they have a better sense of story structure. They understand the elements of a story because they have had read aloud experiences.

Another benefit of reading aloud to emergent readers is that they become familiar with the reading process. As Hall and Moats (2000) point out, children learn by observing. They observe and learn “ how people read” (p.30). Young readers get an idea about what a person does when he or she reads. Of course children cannot see the process, but they do make guesses about what the adult is doing. Hall and Moats state,” the child begins to form hypotheses about the print on the page corresponding to the words…”(p. 30) that are spoken. Understanding that what the child hears when being read is the same as the print that is written in the story is an important concept for emergent readers. Educators call this “print awareness” (Hall and Moats, 2000, p.31). Hall and Moats highlight some of these concepts in their article:

• How a book is turned when it’s right side up

• That the print is read, not the pictures

• Where the beginning of the book is located

• The order of reading the print on the page, top to bottom and left to right

• What to do at the end of a line

• What to do at the end of a page (p.31).

Fox (2001) refers to print as the “first secret of reading” (p.75). She points out that we “imprint print by reading aloud to children –even as babies… as they’re looking at the book and watching the pages turn, they will see the print and hear its meaning” (p.77). Print awareness or understanding the process of reading is an essential component to learning to read, we can see from these various sources the way that reading aloud positively effects an emergent reader in developing these important concepts.

One of the most exciting benefits of reading aloud to emergent readers is the way it instills a love and enthusiasm for reading. Each time we read aloud to a child we convey a message that reading is a pleasurable activity. Mooney (1994) states:

When you present the author’s ideas with so much enthusiasm as if they were your own, you sell books as a source of comfort, delight, challenge and information, and you sell reading and writing as rewarding pleasurable activities (p.1).

This type of enjoyment of books helps children to have a positive view of reading. This positive view creates a desire for children to a reader and to read more often. Children who are read to by their parents have created a special loving bond with that parent. They have a more positive view of reading as enjoyable. Teachers can bring this same type of experience into the classroom by reading aloud to students, thus positively influencing emergent readers. Butler (1980) cites research by Huck (1979) saying that reading good books aloud by an enthusiastic teacher is a key factor in motivating children to become readers. When reading aloud the teacher becomes a role model. The children can share in her excitement about a new book or her love for re-reading an old favorite. I have found this to especially be true in my reading aloud experiences. For example, when I’m particularly enthusiastic about a story that I’m reading so are the children. Also, if I really love a book I find that so do my students. Also I find my students wanting to read that same story during independent reading times. Manarino-Leggett (1995) reminds us that:

Enthusiasm for reading spreads like wild fire when teachers are excited about it. Oral reading is like saying to children, ‘Listen to this! There’s great stuff in these books!’ Remember enthusiasm for reading is extremely contagious! (p.43).

Not only is enthusiasm important when reading aloud to children to help instill a love of reading. Interaction between the reader and the listener is very important factor that should not be overlooked. Saban (1994) states in her article that this interaction is a key motivating factor for children to read even more. She cites research by Greenlaw (1987) that tells us when children are a part of the reading process as the book is read aloud they are more likely to read the book independently and the child enjoys reading more. She also reminds us that it is hard for young children to sit and listen without being involved actively. I have found this to be true in my teaching as well. When the children can read along during repetitive or predictable parts they tend to enjoy the story even more. They also attempt to read it independently and usually read it accurately. Hall and Moats (2000) point out the benefits of interactive reading as described in Becoming a Nation of Readers:

The benefits are greatest when the child is an active participant, engaging in discussions about stories, learning to identify letters and words, and talking about the meanings of words. One researcher who observed parents reading books to their children discovered the differences in the quality and quantity of informal instruction that the parents provided (p. 33)

Hall and Moats also cited a study that was done by G. Whitehurst and his colleagues in 1988. This study focused on the benefits of interactive story reading. Fifteen middle class parents with pre-school aged children were trained on interactive story reading for one hour. They were taught how to pause and ask open-ended questions, expand on a child’s response, suggest other possibilities and ask more difficult questions that would challenge their children. These questions could not be answered with a simple yes or no response. Another control group was made up of the same type of parents with children of the same age and with similar language development. Both groups taped their reading sessions with their children for one month. Both groups read about eight times per week. Both groups of children were tested before and after this experiment. The group of children whose parents did the interactive story reading showed significant gains over the control group. They improved 8.5 months in verbal expression and were 6 months ahead on a vocabulary test. We have already found that a child with this type of a listening a speaking vocabulary has an easier time learning to read. Considering that this experiment only went on for one month made Hall and Moats suggest that using this type of interactive reading approach for several years would have staggering results. Educators can assume that having children become more actively involved in the read aloud process would benefit emergent readers greatly.

Mem Fox (2001) points out in her book that reading aloud and discussing what we’re reading “sharpens children’s brains” (p.15). It develops concentration skills, logical problem solving and of course language development. She also adds that experts say, “Children need to hear a thousand stories read aloud before they begin to learn to read themselves” (p. 17). She points out those three stories a day equal a thousand stories in one year. Fox states:

But if every parent understood the huge educational benefits and intense happiness brought about by reading aloud a minimum of three stories a day to children in their lives, we could probably wipe out illiteracy within one generation (p.12).

Wow what a powerful statement. I would like to add to Fox’s idea what if all teachers really understood the vital importance of reading aloud-good children’s literature in their classes everyday. This would certainly improve literacy in our schools in many ways. Educators need to understand the far-reaching benefits of reading aloud to emergent readers. Especially reading aloud to those children who have not had the benefit of parents who’ve read to them from a young age at home. After doing this research I’ve come to understand that reading aloud is a vital activity that should be a key part of every classroom everyday. It should be a planned aspect not a last minute time filler at the end of the day. Children should be actively involved in the reading aloud process. Joining in and reading along out loud, looking for letters or words, moving to the rhythm, predicting what will happen next and/or acting out the story as it is told. Discussions led by children and teachers should follow or be intertwined into the reading aloud experience. Conversations and open-ended questions should be a part of these discussions as well. Children will broaden background knowledge, improve language skills, build vocabulary, and become more familiar with written language and story structure when they are read aloud to often. Enthusiastic reading aloud fosters a love for reading and literature especially when children are actively engaged. Teachers who work with emergent readers want to see their student grow as a reader in all of the ways mentioned above. We especially want our students to love reading because if they love reading they will have an intrinsic desire to read. When a child wants to read and loves to read the motivation to learn to read is in place. This is half the battle for a reading teacher. Reading aloud is an activity that teachers usually enjoy and it is wonderful to realize the many benefits that this pleasurable activity has on emergent readers. In conclusion, Hall and Moats (2000) had this quote from Becoming a Nation of Readers in their article:

“The single most important activity for building the knowledge required for the eventual success in reading is reading aloud to children” (p.26).

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download