• Hey, Little Ant
‘I can see you’re big and strong, decide for yourself what’s right and wrong, if you were me and I were you, what would you want me to do?’
Reading aloud stories, like the one about an ant desperately trying to convince a kid to NOT squish him, can help children of all ages to appreciate the wonder and magic of a book. (In this story it also helps in a discussion about empathy.) Being read to is risk-free. When a teacher (or parent) does the reading, children’s minds are open to anticipate, infer, connect, question, and comprehend (Calkins 2000). I believe you are never too old to enjoy a read aloud. Whether it’s a story or non-fiction selection, it’s both liberating and enriching to listen and have the experience of written language without the burden of decoding. Reading aloud grants all students (including those who have English as an Additional Language), access to content that they may not be able read and understand by themselves.
It’s widely acknowledged that being read to is one of the most influential elements, if not the most important factor, in helping children to build the knowledge required for success in reading. Throughout the Elementary School, PS through Grade 5, reading aloud is a daily practice in our classrooms. With Covid rule changes, many of the grades also have returned to the practice of having guest readers, parents who come in to share one of their favourite stories, sometimes in a home language, which is not English. Typically, children’s listening comprehension outpaces their reading comprehension until Middle School. Therefore, it is particularly important that students in the earliest grades build knowledge through being read to as well as through reading on their own. Of course, as reading skills develop (something that can occur with a different timeline for each individual), the balance gradually shifts to reading independently. Next week is Book Week and reading will be part of a special theme in all of the classrooms. There was an exciting start to our book week when 9th graders read with the second grade children on Friday. In the classroom blogs look out for more news of the many activities planned for an unforgettable Book Week. Many thanks to Claire McMahon, who has provided such strong leadership in organising/co-ordinating a week filled with an exciting and memorable set of activities, culminating on World Book Day on March 3. From the celebration of World Book Day, right through the rest of the year our teachers and students will continue to delight in the joys of reading.
As one of my favourite authors, Kate DiCamillo, said,
“Reading should not be presented to children as a chore or duty. It should be offered to them as a precious gift.”
Don Newbury,
Elementary Principal
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