HIT: Questions during Read-alouds Pt. 2

[Brunell <brunell@avenew.com>]

A continuation of the many wonderful ideas I received concerning this
topic...thanks again to all the contributors!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sometimes I tell the kids I want to read the book from
beginning to end,
without stopping, and that if they have a question to
hold it in their hand
(I make a fist) so they don't forget it. Then I either
take the questions
when I am finished, or I read the book a second time,
stoppping when the
kids have something to add or ask. It depends on the
book.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
First I tell students that it is rude to raise their hands when someone
is
talking or I'm reading.  I explain that waving hands disturb the rest of
the
class and that often the hand raiser stops listening because s/he is
more
interested in his/her question.  Then I let the students know that their

comments can only be about what we are reading.  I ask, "Is this about
the
story?"  That cuts down on the "I lost a tooth" and "We got a new puppy"

comments.  If something in the story causes several students to want to
comment, I give everyone a chance.  That's something you have to plan
for.
If I know that I want to read uninterrupted, I tell them that I'm not
taking any
commments until I finish reading and then I ignore those who forget.
(That
sounds pretty heartless, but it really cuts down on interruptions.)
My problem is when I let students call out answers and when I make them
raise their hands.  In that, I am not consistent.  It's something I
continue to
work on - after 14 years!
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Never, never, never pass up a teachable moment.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hi,
I try to give the class a mind set before beginning to
read the book.  We
talk about characters, setting, make predictions
whatever is
appropriate.  I usually give them something to be
listening for such as
how tricker is used, or what could really happen and
what is just made up.
In our classroom reading program the kids are
encouraged to make text to
self connections (book has an apple tree so kid shares
I climb apple trees
at my Grandparents place), text to text connections
(the character in this
book is like such and such a character in "other book"
because ... or this
takes place in a place like "title" did) and
eventually text to world
connections (the pictures in the book look a lot like
what I saw on teh TV
news last night about ....).  With this type of
comment encouraged in
class book sharing, telling kids to not interact as I
read a book would be
counter productive.  I draw the line at comments that
are relevant and
those that are off target and just sharing to have a
chance to talk.  When
they start off on a tangent I ask is that on task and
suggest sharing it
with me after the story.  If the story has their
attention there are few
interruptions.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I try to anticipate the questions the kids will ask by
doing a book
orientation before I read the story.  We look
carefully at the cover and the
pictures and predict what it will be about and really
get our minds focusing
on the setting and the characters and so forth.
Sometimes, while I am
reading, I will point to the picture to match an
uncommon word, substitute a
simpler word or stop to explain a term (very briefly).
I also  draw the kids
in by asking them what they think will happen or what
they would do,

With this sort of intro, generally, they tend not to
ask unless there is
something they don't understand and you can bet if one
needs to ask, then
others are also wanting to know.

This sort of orientation also helps them 'read' the
book for themselves when
I have finished and share it with their friends.  Just
eavesdrop and listen
to them mimic you!

Selection of the story is the critical element though
and the support that
the pictures give to the text, the expression you put
into the words and the
animation you put into your reading are all key
factors. Above all, the
enjoyment you get from reading to them should shine
thru - they will be so
entranced they won't want to interject!


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
One expectation I would have (definitely!!) is that
students need to raise
their hand if they have a question. That way, you can
decide when to call on
them. You can wait until you get to a natural stopping
place. Or, sometimes I
would just glance at the student and shake my head to
indicate that they just
needed to listen for a few minutes. Actually, it's a
good skill for kids to
learn to hold their questions. Of course, the younger
the student, the more
frequently you're going to want to find those natural
stopping places.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I answer the questions then go back a few sentences to
get into the
swing of the story again. Sometimes the question is
about the meaning of
a word. If I don't stop and answer the question, the
kid has lost the
meaning of the story anyway.....



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When you introduce the story you might set the kids up
to look for certain
things so that they won't feel the need to ask
questions or comment.
Examples:  When reading a Strega Nona story talk about
the Italian words
ahead of time and tell the children that they will be
impressing their
teacher with being able to speak Italian when she
comes to pick them up (ie
pasta, strega).  Or before reading the one about the
policeman and his dog
who give safety talks (Gloria and Buckles? I haven't
been in elementary for
a long time!) tell the students that after the story
you'll help them make a
safety poster for their classroom and they need to be
alert for safety tips
in the story (including those hidden in the
illustrations).
Emphasize the fact that they will get an opportunity
to talk about the story
when you are done reading.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Build it into the story.  When you review the
story/book, think about how
you can use different parts to teach specific skills.
From a reading
teacher's perspective, there are ways to do this to
improve comprehension
skills and art appreciation.  For example, there are 5
basic types of
comprehension questions:  details and information (in
any story), main
idea, sequence, cause and effect, inference.  You can
use pictures to
introduce the particular skill you will be presenting.
Always do details
and info.  You can find good pictures in lots of
magazines, cut them out
and put on colored construction paper.  I started mine
almost 30 years ago,
still have them and they work well.  IE, one shows a
family standing in a
burned out living room.  I asked what they infer
happened...they pretty
quickly point out that there was a fire in the house.
Then, while reading
that story, at points you have selected, ask the kids
what they infer
happened, will happen?  Then read that section and ask
if they were
right...They also tune in better.  Most stories lend
themselves to
inference, sequence, cause and effect, etc...just
figure it out for each
story.  That way, they are getting many questions
answered as you go along,
plus you are planning to stop frequently to deal
w/those issues.  If they
ask more questions, they can do it when you pause to
ask them to predict
what's next (based on those comp. questions) or if
that's what did happen.

You may want to start doing this w/reading just a few
lines, paragraph,
etc., a short amount of words, and may be able to
extend it somewhat as
they get older, more mature, and better at the
concept.

You can use the pictures in picture books to help with
hints, and in some
cases provide an activity based on how the art was
done, etc. depending on
your schedule, time w/kids, etc.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Laurel,
I have thought about this too, and my rule is "only one person talks at
a
time." I expect the students to learn to be good listeners, not just to
me
but to anyone who has the floor during a discussion. If they ask
inappropriate questions or make comments out of nowhere like, "Hey! I
got
a
new puppy!" right in the middle of the story, I tell them not to
interrupt
right now (although I might listen at the end of class).

But if they ask a question such as the meaning of a word or anything
else
relevant, I will stop and answer. I believe in the value of teachable
moments.

I think once the story really gets rolling, they will get caught up and
not
interrupt in the exciting parts. You can teach them to raise their hands

before speaking, and then ignore the raised hands if you think it will
ruin
your momentum. They get the idea after a while.

Also I think if we don't want them to interrupt us, we shouldn't
interrupt
the story ourselves either, something I'm often guilty of. It's probably

better to read through the story, then go back and review anything you
wanted
to emphasize or make sure they picked up on (e.g., "Did you notice that
the
little mouse was in the corner all the time?")


--
Laurel Brunell, Media Specialist
Orland Center School
Orland Park, IL
brunell@avenew.com

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