Let's Read a Story!: Collaborative Meaning Making, Student Engagement, and Vocabulary Building Through the Use of Interactive Read-Alouds

Authors

Shaya Helbig, Western Michigan UniversityFollow
Susan V. Piazza, Western Michigan UniversityFollow

Abstract

The interactive read-aloud has long been a practice during early literacy instruction in schools and in homes. Reading aloud to children provides a platform for teachers or caregivers to model meaning-making interactions with text. Students are able to collaboratively engage in conversations to create a collective understanding of texts. Interactions during a read-aloud can foster engagement, create meaning, and promote vocabulary acquisition. This article examines current research that supports the use of interactive read alouds to engage learners in meaning-making processes and translates research and theory into practical recommendations for effective interactive read-alouds.

Author Bio

Shaya Helbig is a literacy coach at Benton Harbor Charter School Academy in Benton Harbor Michigan. She is also a doctoral student at Western Michigan University focusing on Literacy Studies.

Susan V. Piazza is a professor of literacy and graduate program coordinator at Western Michigan University. She was a recipient of Michigan Reading Association’s Teacher Educator of the Year Award in 2016.

Recommended Citation

Helbig, Shaya and Piazza, Susan V. (2020) "Let's Read a Story!: Collaborative Meaning Making, Student Engagement, and Vocabulary Building Through the Use of Interactive Read-Alouds," Michigan Reading Journal: Vol. 53: Iss. 1, Article 6.
Available at: https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/mrj/vol53/iss1/6