Revitalize Read Alouds in Middle School to Make Reading Effective & Engaging

Convincing middle school students to participate in all class read alouds can be a struggle! I'm excited to share a few of my favorite ways to spice up read alouds and keep students engaged. 

1. Evaluate whether you're using the most compelling books for your students

Do students seem bored during ELA read alouds? There's a chance that the content in the book isn't connecting with their personal life experiences and interests. Let's face it. The books that we (teachers) loved 20 years ago may no longer resonate with students. Younger generations are facing unique challenges and wrestling with questions that did not even exist when we were middle school students. 

Here are some questions to consider while evaluating your read aloud books: 

• Have I given my students a sense of autonomy and choice in selecting the book? If the answer is "no," consider letting students vote about which book to read next. Even if you have curriculum limitations or can't afford to buy new books, allowing students to pick the sequence of reading pre-approved books may help them feel like they have more agency in the classroom. 
• Does the book match my student's comprehension level? If not, is there another book you could use that would be a better fit for where your students are? Or, are there ways you can pre-teach themes and vocabulary from the book to support comprehension? 
• Are my books culturally relevant? Do my students see diverse experiences reflected in the text? Take a look at the books in your curriculum and analyze what voices are represented in your literature and which voices are missing. If there are any gaps in representation of gender, ethnicity, social class, etc., consider additional materials that you might add to diversify the narratives in your curriculum. 

2. Create dynamic, interactive reading experiences that students WANT to participate in 

Read alouds have so much potential to be fun! Here are a few tricks and tips for improving the reading experience: 

Dramatize your reading with gusto

Do you have an inner theater kid? Model expressive reading by switching up your pitch, tone, pacing, and volume.Heck, you can even wear costumes or bring in props to bring the book to life! Whatever energy you bring to your reading will set the tone for your students. 

Pause the reading to allow students to talk with each other 

Discussing the read aloud book can help students build critical thinking skills, process the text, and connect with their peers. If you're struggling to get certain students to share with the entire class, it may be helpful to break students into pairs or small groups to talk with each other. To provide structure for their conversations, consider writing a question on the board or passing out slips of paper with discussion prompts. 

Build background knowledge to help students feel more confident about reading the book 

Before you start a new section of the book, pre-read the pages to analyze if there are any ideas or events that may be new to the students. Then, create a lesson plan to help students build background knowledge before reading. For example, if the chapter is about Japanese internment camps in the U.S. during the 1940s, consider bringing in some historical primary source documents, photos, documentary clips, and other resources to contextualize that period in history. Once your students have a chance to build background knowledge, they are much more likely to feel confident about their ability to study the book. 

Give students a reflection worksheet to take notes on the read aloud 

I love letting students doodle pictures and write down phrases to help them remember key scenes in the read aloud. 

3. Teach clear expectations for creating a safe, judgement free reading environment

Set judgment-free expectations to help students feel safe

I remember being in middle school and feeling my heart pound whenever my teacher called on me to speak aloud. Many of your students may have similar anxiety, so it's important to cultivate an environment of positive support. Remind students regularly that read aloud time is a judgment free experience. Emphasize that you will not tolerate laughing or unkind comments in regard to a student's reading. 

Teach students how to be strong listeners when others are reading aloud 

At the beginning of each semester, I like to have an in-depth conversation with students about what it means to be a good listener. Sometimes we use anchor charts or other visual tools to summarize our co-created definition of a good listener.