Ten Sacred Minutes

There are ten minutes in my teaching day that I will not give up or exchange for some other activity no matter what. When fire drills, assemblies and assessments interrupt my regular schedule, I still try to find ten minutes to read aloud to my students. These are the most joyful moments of my day but I also know that there is a high rate of return on this little investment. Last year, we read nine books together. When I ask my students to write book recommendations, they often choose one of the ones I have read aloud to them. When I run into them years after they have left my classroom, what they remember are the books I read to them. Here are some of the reasons I safeguard my read aloud time:

1. The voice of the fluent reader becomes imprinted on the text - I have been listening to Malcolm Gladwell's podcast Revisionist History. When I picked up his new book Talking to Strangers I realized I was hearing his voice as I read the text and it flowed easily and rapidly. Right after finishing a book I notice my students check out the same title from the classroom or the school library. Having listened to me read in a sense gives a voice to the text that they can try to emulate as they read on their own. 

2. Sharing a book creates community - For a few weeks we all come to know the same cast of characters. We learn to understand their struggles and motivations. We laugh at their misadventures and cry together at their misfortunes. Ultimately we come to care about the same thing - and that's what a community does. 
3. Reading aloud together creates a common base of knowledge for the classroom - weeks after reading The Dreamer  by Pam Muñoz Ryan, my students and I refer back to it to make a point, or draw a comparison. Our read alouds become touchstone texts for making connections and mentor texts for emulating good writing.
4. Students are exposed to books that they may not choose otherwise - Choosing the right book to read aloud to a class is tricky business. To start with, I have to love it if I am going to sell the love of reading to the kids. But it's not all about me. It also has to be a book that either reflects the realities of my students or allows them to experience the world of those different from themselves. (Tip: What works are books that deal with universal human needs for love and connection). One year I read Fish in a Tree because I knew I had students that needed to hear the message of that book - every one of us has talents and capacities which may not be the same as those of others. I also knew that some of my students had never experienced academic difficulty in their lives and did not know how if felt for their classmates to feel unsuccessful. It was a great experience in empathy. 
5. Reading lessons come to life with a read aloud: While reading aloud from a quality book I get to model all the reading behaviors I want to cultivate in my students. Good books authentically elicit connections, inferences, and questions. Often I have to remind myself that students interjections are not interruptions but real reactions to the text, something that I am encouraging them to have when they read independently. 

With all the demands on classroom time, it is easy to skip the read aloud. It seems like a luxury. But by putting it at the top of the agenda for my readers workshop, I hope I am sending the message to my students that reading and good books are at the center of our work. After all, what is the point of learning to read and comprehend if not for appreciating good stories that can change minds and touch hearts.