Reading aloud is an effective way for teachers to demonstrate reading behaviors that will have a lasting impact. It’s not only essential for developing literacy, but it can also help students discover the joy and power of reading. 

Here are some tips and resources to enhance your classroom read-aloud experience. 

Shop read-aloud books and supplies below! You can find all books and activities at The Teacher Store.

1. Choose Books Students Can Identify With

According to the Scholastic Kids & Family Reading Report, children seek out books that reflect our diverse world. In fact, 76 percent of kids believe that diversity in books is important. Books with inclusive representation teach empathy and build self-esteem, while helping students embrace who they are and their place in the world. 

When building your classroom read-aloud collection, incorporate books with diverse characters and experiences that students can see themselves in. Spark a meaningful classroom conversation with some of our favorite books that celebrate diversity:

2. Allow Your Students to Suggest Books

When choosing a book for your next read-aloud session, consider involving your students in the process. The freedom to explore enables your students to practice collaborative decision making and form a positive relationship with reading. Additionally, catering to your students’ interests makes for a more captivating and exciting read-aloud experience. 

According to the 7th edition of the Scholastic Kids & Family Reading Report, 89 percent of kids across demographics agree that their favorite books are the ones that they have picked out themselves. Furthermore, another 88 percent say that they are more likely to finish a book they have picked out themselves and eight in 10 say they feel a sense of accomplishment when they finish reading a book. 

Here are four tips to help your students choose the next read-aloud book: 

1. Look at the front cover.

2. Read the back cover.

3. Flip through the pages to glance at illustrations.

4. Read one page at random to determine interest.

To fill your classroom read-aloud library, take a look at these 50+ read-alouds to restock your library and shop the Ultimate Read-Aloud Collections below:

3. Be Expressive

Expressive dialogue and animated gestures lend color to words and captivate any classroom. An engaging storyteller helps students form connections with the text while strengthening their comprehension, listening, and fluent reading skills. An entertaining read-aloud experience also inspires a greater love for reading among your students. 

Choose books that allow you to make unique character voices and silly noises to make the read-aloud experience engaging and interesting. We’ve compiled a few for you below to get you started: 

4. Make Things Interactive 

Enhance each read-aloud session with interactive activities to help students connect with the story and exercise their comprehension skills. 

Have your students identify familiar sight words from the book using the Sight Words: Bulletin Board and use the Laught-a-Lot Phonics: Short Vowels set to set them up for reading success through laughter.

Shop materials and accessories to help you facilitate a conversation during your next read-aloud session: