Week 11: Assignment #2

A great literacy strategy for a teacher to implement in the classroom is read alouds. Students improve comprehension and literacy, as well as build many foundational skills. They get to see the teacher model fluent and expressive reading. They also enrich their vocabulary and grammar when hearing the teacher read to them.
Teachers should read to students and ask questions while reading. Teachers can stop at certain points of the book and ask the students what they think will happen next, why did this event happen...This engages the students and provides great opportunity to improve their comprehension skills. 

http://www.examiner.com/article/asking-questions-while-reading-out-loud-improves-literacy-new-study-reveals

Ask Students Questions While Reading Aloud to Improve Literacy

The University of Virginia's School of Education conducted a study and found that when teachers read aloud to students and asked questions during the reading process, students showed improved reading comprehension and literacy skills. The study also found that students' literacy improved when they were asked questions and actively engaged with the text, rather than just looking at the pictures while teachers were reading aloud.

I found a great lesson plan for first graders where the teacher reads The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein aloud to the class and turns the reading into a lesson.
http://curry.virginia.edu/reading-projects/projects/garf/First%20Read-alouds/The%20Giving%20Tree.doc