Join Molly Ness, an expert in read-aloud strategies and author of "Read Alouds for All Learners," as she shares insights from her journey from law to teaching. She highlights the transformative power of read-alouds in enhancing literacy, vocabulary, and comprehension for students from Pre-K to eighth grade. Molly discusses effective strategies for intentional planning and implementation, emphasizing their socioemotional benefits. Using examples like Mo Willems' 'Knuffle Bunny,' she showcases how read-alouds can engage students across various subjects.
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insights INSIGHT
Read-Alouds Work Beyond Early Grades
Read-alouds build language comprehension across grades K–8, not just early childhood.
They remain powerful for upper elementary and middle school students when used intentionally.
insights INSIGHT
Read-Alouds Affect Bodies As Well As Minds
Read-alouds produce measurable physiological benefits like lowered heart rate and reduced cortisol.
They can increase oxytocin and reduce reported pain in hospitalized children, showing holistic impact.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Crying During A Surprise Read-Aloud
Molly read Frindle without previewing and unexpectedly became emotional in front of sixth graders.
The moment showed the risk of not previewing texts before read-alouds.
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Many educators understand the value of reading aloud to students, but may not yet have unlocked the full power of these tools as an intentional, consistent, and joyful instructional approach. In this episode, we welcome Molly Ness, author of the recent book, Read Alouds for All Learners: A Comprehensive Plan for Every Subject, Every Day, Grades PreK–8. Molly—a former classroom teacher who also spent 16 years as a teacher educator—gives us an overview of the research on read-alouds, detailing the myriad benefits (linguistic, socioemotional, motivational, and physiological) they provide students. Molly also lays out strategies for effective read-alouds, instructions on how to properly plan and implement them, and specific examples of the pre-work process for texts like Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems.
*Terms and conditions: Discount valid on SolutionTree.com only. Enter promo code AmplifyPodcast20 at checkout to receive a 20% discount on the paperback version of Read Alouds for All Learners. Offer expires December 15, 2023. Not valid for bookstores, distributors, or resellers. Continental U.S. only. Cannot be combined with other offers. For customers submitting a purchase order, payment must be received by December 15, 2023, to qualify for this offer.
Quotes:
"A read-aloud is an interactive language experience...where a teacher reads something, elicits a conversation from students. Those conversational turns are so essential in [a] read-aloud. It's a shared literacy experience around a text." —Molly Ness
"What I don't think teachers understand, and I say this having been one of those teachers, is the intentionality that needs to happen in planning the read-aloud." —Molly Ness
"When we add things like think-alouds and being explicit in our vocabulary, we are building [students'] metacognition and [their] abiliy to understand text." —Molly Ness
"We all have those gaps in knowledge and life experiences, regardless of where we come from and regardless of our zip code and regardless of our personal or family situation." —Molly Ness
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