What is an “interactive” read aloud?
A. The purpose of an “interactive” read aloud is that students actually participate in some way DURING the reading. Follow-ups are great and have their purpose … I am all for them, but too many times teachers expect students to sit quietly during read alouds (and sometimes that IS appropriate) … we want the skills to be able to INVOLVE students WHILE we read so that they have some “ownership” of the reading also. Now, you can invent some hand signs or movements to go along with your read aloud, you can have students make sounds, or repeat words along with your read aloud OR any number of other things, but you need some small way of involving the students so that they have a PURPOSE for listening and feel like THEY are participants also. Get it?
