Read Alouds for Reluctant Readers and Writers

Hi friends! I wanted to share some of the read alouds I have been using the past few weeks...specifically ones I use to encourage and support kiddos that aren't engaged with reading and writing. 

I believe that all of our students can grow to love reading and writing...and it's our job to get them there! Read alouds are the perfect way to model thinking, strategies, and lead to discussions! I love this quote...I think it goes along perfectly when we think about our students as readers and writers! So many of them come to us struggling...having already spent a year or two of not knowing how to write...how to read...and not seeing themselves as readers and writers. We have to show them! 

 

These are 3 of my favorite read-alouds for supporting writers in our rooms. 

Ralph Tells a Story is one of my very favorite books to read at the beginning of the year. Our literacy coach introduced it to me last year, and I can't get enough! 

I LOVE the Rocket books. A word of caution...they are a little long...I recommend breaking them up into 1-2 read aloud sessions. I forgot to take pictures, but after we read this book, I had the kiddos come up with their own list of important words. They drew a picture and I spelled the words for them. That way every writer has a list of important words that they can use in their stories. 

Finally, Good Night Gorilla, is just one of many wordless picture books you can use in writer's workshop. I think this story line is really easy to follow, and you can focus more on using it as a mentor text and less on inferring. 

Another fabulous Rocket story! :) 

I just can't get enough of Mo Willems...I'm telling you...if you don't have a ton of his books in your primary classroom, do it now! They will change the way your readers think about books. Mine beg for me to read one after another. I have seen kiddos who HATE reading grow to love books through these texts. I have seen level A/B readers "memorize" these texts and read them with fluency and expression. It gives them confidence s readers, and offers them opportunities to be successful during independent or buddy reading.  

This book is PERFECT for teaching Reader's Workshop expectations, and offering readers tips on being successful during reading time. 

I'll leave you with this little quote! :) I remind myself of it often!