A Study of the Read Aloud Practices of Emergent Elementary School Readers

Abstract

Oral reading by an enthusiastic adult is an important motivating factor in helping children become interested readers. The purpose of this study is to see how well emergent first grade readers model effective read aloud practices as determined by the teacher. The author seeks to understand which specific aspects of read aloud practices contribute to the development of first grade reading skills as well as the role of the leading adult plays in the process. Students were asked to read a story of their choice aloud to the author, who recorded their observations on the students’ reading skills. The author found that the most prevalent read aloud practices were finger pointing, reading stories in a left to right, top to bottom manner, and having the opportunity to practice, all of which were modelled by the classroom teacher. Since children were less likely to be read aloud to at home, classroom teachers have a significant impact on the habits of potential independent readers. The author recommends the adoption of read aloud programs and workshops by all urban schools.