And then I grew up! And then I became a teacher, too! And then I had a class of my own to read to! I'm grateful to the example of my own grade school teachers and their dedication to reading out loud. I taught 3rd grade for many years, and I read to my students every day after lunch. One of my favorite books to read aloud was The BFG. I read it to every class every year, and they loved it!
Sadly, with today's tight school schedules, it is often difficult for classroom teachers to be able to fit in some time to read aloud each day.
What books do you remember your own teachers reading aloud to you when you were young?
When you were a classroom teacher, what books did you read aloud to your students?
I do not remember any book in particular that my teachers read to us. I don't even remember being read to. But I do believe it is an important part of a child's education - even when they are older. It helps them to develope the ability to listen, to visualize, and to comprehend. It is interesting to me that the brain proccesses what a person reads as though it had heard it - auditory learning. If we want our children/students to be able to read to learn, we need to develope that ability to learn through listening.
ReplyDeleteMy own children have told me how much they missed being read to in library after 3rd Grade, so I make it a point to try to continue to find time to read even with the older elementary school classes.
I had a sixth grade teacher that read to us every day after lunch. The book I remember best was "Old Yeller". She was such a fabulous teacher anyway. She turned off the lights and we just sat and listened to her. She is the one that influenced me to become a teacher. I followed her example when I had my own classroom and read to my students every day after lunch. When I became a Librarian I loved reading to the classes, even the older ones. In high school I don't get the opportunity to read aloud anymore, but I still love to read to my grandchildren. John showed us a fabulous app in the iPad class where you can create your own books and record them. I want to do that for my granddaughter in Washington. That way I can still be with her.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fabulous idea of how to use that App!!
Delete"Where the Red Fern Grows" was read to me by my 6th grade teacher. She then was able some how to have him come to our school. What a great treat that I still remember today. The students at Indian Hills demand that I read to them often. They all like being in the Kiva and having me read a book. If I have a different activity more than once a month they really let me know. I have to find a short book to go with a lesson and we have to move from the tables to the kiva for the stories. Reading ebooks of the smartboard is accepted once in a while but they all prefer the kiva and me reading. They can see the advantage of seeing pictures big but they think that should be done after we have read it the 1st time. I rarely read a full novel. When "The Invention of Hugo Cabret" came out I made the mistake of thinking we could read it quickly. It was not a quick read but the sstuddents would not let me stop. They knew each week exactly where we were.
ReplyDeleteMy third grade teacher, Mrs. Morris, read "Where the Red Fern Grows" also. I remember her sobbing with tears running down her face.
ReplyDeleteThat could be my third grade class in the picture!
ReplyDeleteMy third grade teacher tried to read the whole set of OZ books. We made it through three or four of them. I loved listening. My fifth grade teacher read Misty of Chincoteague and then I read it five times that year. In sixth grade, my teacher read The Secret Garden, Where the Red Fern Grows, Silver Chief Dog of the North, White Fang, and Call of the Wild. I loved them all and couldn't wait until after lunch when we would sit quietly and listen to him read. I hated the terrible boys who couldn't sit still and interupted the teacher and often shortened the time spent listening.
ReplyDeleteMy boys liked Gary Paulsen and I read to them all through Jr. High. My daughter finially asked me to stop reading to her in Jr. High because she could do the different voices better in her head than I could reading aloud.
I remember my sixth grade teacher reading The House of Sixty Fathers by Meindert De Jong. I was so touched by that story and the kindess of those soldiers to the young boy, Tien Pao. I love reading Palace Beautiful to the 5th graders because it take place in our schools neighborhood and it is a story that has the whole class, including me crying. We have some wonderful discussions reading this book. There are so many great books to read aloud, and I think it is so important for students to have a read aloud experience.
ReplyDeleteReflecting on the interesting comments:
ReplyDeleteWe must always remember the profound influence we have on such precious children.
I remember hearing my teacher read "Ferdinand the Bull" and loving it so I read it to my sons when they were little. It made me smile when each son went to college that "Ferdinand" went with them, too.
ReplyDeleteBoxcar Children is the book that I remember. It was so exciting to come in from recess and to find out what happened next. I think it was when I was in the 4th or 5th grade.
ReplyDeleteI don't remember my teachers reading to me but I will never forget my librarian reading Where the Red Fern Grows to me. What an impact that made. I have a good friend who reads it every year to her class and still has a hard time getting through the end of the book without huge buckets of tears.
ReplyDeleteI always loved to read The Silver Crown by Robert C. O'brien to my 6th graders. My own children loved that book and would cringe when I would take our only copy to school to read to my class.
Reading Julie's post reminded me of the book "My Great-Aunt Arizona" who read to her students who grew up and had children that Arizona also read to who grew up and had children that Arizona ALSO read to.
ReplyDeleteThis is the single thing I missed the most when I became a library teacher...reading chapter books to my class. Others have suggested I do it in the library, but I just can't make it work for me.
Sadly, the read-aloud book I remember most from grade school is one I hated: The Phantom Tollbooth. Go figure. I remember thinking that was the dumbest book and couldn't wait 'til my teacher finished it.
My second grade teacher read us "The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe" AND she let us draw while we listened!! I felt like I was part of the story, and the entire series has been one of my favorites ever since.
ReplyDeleteI remember my second grade teacher reading "Stone Fox" and trying so hard not to cry but failing miserably. When I was teaching second grade I made sure to read it to my classes. Most years I made it throught with only a few tears.
ReplyDeleteI also loved reading Roald Dahl's "The Witches" it has the perfect amount of creepiness!
I cannot remember exactly what my teachers read to the class. I guess I was kind of like Marilyn's daughter in the fact I preferred to have the book in my own hands and imagine the voices myself. I never had a librarian at the two elementary schools I went to. The library was just a very small room that we sometimes, not every week, got to get a book from.
ReplyDeleteI read all kinds of picture books to my class when I taught first grade and when I taught third grade I read books like No Talking by Andrew Clements. I have always read to every class I have ever had, Patricia Polacco's, "Thank You Mr. Faulkner". Every time I cannot help shedding a few tears as I realize yet again the real reason why I became a teacher.
My biggest and most precious reward for reading aloud to students is when they stand up and applaud. It makes me feel so special. Love my job!!!
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite memories in elementary school is having Mrs. Piggle Wiggle read aloud after lunch each day by my fifth grade teacher. I loved those books and how funny they were and how we all laughed.
ReplyDeleteI never dreamed that one day I would read picture books aloud to children in an elementary library and they would sit rapt with attention.