2. “A teaching context in
which students are actively
listening and responding to
an oral reading of a text”
Fountas & Pinnell, 2007, p. 163

3. “Because children's listening comprehension outpaces their reading
comprehension in the early grades, it's important that your students
build knowledge through being read to as well as through independent
reading, with the balance gradually shifting to silent, independent
reading” (Boyles, 2012).
Through Interactive Read Alouds, you will guide students through a close
reading, model what good readers do, engage them in conversation
about the text, and assist them in acquiring the strategies and
confidence that will help them during independent reading, guided
reading, and writing (Deford, 2003).

4. LOOK LIKE
 Students sitting in a group
 Teacher reading aloud to the group
 Teacher modeling what good readers do
 Teacher asking questions about the text
 Students actively participating and
engaged with text
 Teacher monitoring and responding to
student responses
SOUND LIKE
 Teacher reading aloud to students
 Teacher thinking aloud about the text
 Teacher asking carefully crafted and pre-
planned questions about the text
 Students asking questions about the text
 Students responding to questions,
reporting, conversing, and/or expressing
ideas and understandings about the text
An Interactive Read Aloud typically lasts about 15 minutes.

5. Determine
the
purpose,
standard(s),
and
objectives
for the read
aloud.
Select an
engaging,
complex
text.
Pre-
read
the
text.
Plan out
natural
stopping
points
and
mark
them.
Determine
key under-
standings to
be
addressed,
and text-
dependent
questions
and
vocabulary
to be taught.
Model
analytic
thinking,
fluency,
and
expression
as you
read.
Guide
discussion
and support
students in
participating
using
evidence
from the
text.

6.  Determine the purpose, standard(s), and
objectives for the read aloud.
 Select complex texts
 Pre-read text
 Choose natural stopping points for discussion
 Create text-dependent questions to use
 Determine vocabulary to address
 Determine strategies you will use to
teach/organize information such as graphic
organizers
 Determine strategies you will use to engage
students
Prior
to
Interactive
Read
Aloud

7.  Read aloud to the whole class or a small group
 Model close reading strategies and behaviors
 Use fluency, voice, and expression
 Model analytic thinking aloud
 Stop at points throughout the text to discuss and ask
text-dependent questions
 Provide students the opportunity to share and
discuss their thinking and questions
 Provide sufficient wait time for students to
respond
 Promote book talk, active listening, and
engagement
 Support students in using the text when
answering
 Assess student learning formatively
During
Interactive
Read
Aloud

8.  Listen actively
 Engage in conversations with teacher and
peers about the text
 Answer questions about the text
 Ask questions about the text
 Use evidence from the text to support ideas
and understandings
 Notice important details
 Identify vocabulary words where
the meaning of the word is unclear
During
Interactive
Read
Aloud

9. Boyles, N. (December 2012/January 2013). Common
core: Now what? Closing in on close reading.
Educational Leadership, 70(4), 36-41.
Deford, D. E. (2003). Interactive read aloud:
Supporting and expanding strategies for
comprehension. In G.S. Pinnell & P.L. Scharer
(Eds.), Teaching for Comprehension in
Reading, Grades K-2 (211-224). New York, NY:
Scholastic.
Fountas, I., & Pinnell, G. S. (2007). The continuum of
literacy learning, grades K-2: A guide to teaching.
Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.