Never Too Old: Reading Aloud to Secondary Students

Presenter Information

Alyson Savage

Document Type

Oral Presentation

Campus where you would like to present

SURC 201

Start Date

17-5-2012

End Date

17-5-2012

Abstract

Assessment results provided by the National Assessment of Adult Literacy have presented evidence of a literacy problem among young adults in the United States. In this thesis, I argue that reading aloud to students at the secondary level is one of the most effective solutions to this problem. This strategy is highly recommended at the elementary levels by experts such as Jim Trelease and Stephen Krashen, but many educators feel that this strategy has no place in a secondary classroom. Showing the importance of these strategies and bringing them into the middle and high schools will be a crucial step in reversing literacy deficiencies in young adults. Using previously conducted case studies and surveys of read-aloud practices, I show that the exposure of older students to varied and well-planned read-aloud strategies has a positive effect on developing and maintaining strong literacy skills. After observing secondary classrooms and reviewing teaching methods, I first will illustrate a number of methods that educators can use to implement these strategies, then describe the various types of reading materials best suited for each activity. Reading aloud is not a difficult thing to incorporate in lesson planning, and even the smallest exposure will help our students become better readers.

Faculty Mentor(s)

YiShan Lea

Additional Mentoring Department

Education

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May 17th, 9:10 AM May 17th, 9:30 AM

Never Too Old: Reading Aloud to Secondary Students

SURC 201

Assessment results provided by the National Assessment of Adult Literacy have presented evidence of a literacy problem among young adults in the United States. In this thesis, I argue that reading aloud to students at the secondary level is one of the most effective solutions to this problem. This strategy is highly recommended at the elementary levels by experts such as Jim Trelease and Stephen Krashen, but many educators feel that this strategy has no place in a secondary classroom. Showing the importance of these strategies and bringing them into the middle and high schools will be a crucial step in reversing literacy deficiencies in young adults. Using previously conducted case studies and surveys of read-aloud practices, I show that the exposure of older students to varied and well-planned read-aloud strategies has a positive effect on developing and maintaining strong literacy skills. After observing secondary classrooms and reviewing teaching methods, I first will illustrate a number of methods that educators can use to implement these strategies, then describe the various types of reading materials best suited for each activity. Reading aloud is not a difficult thing to incorporate in lesson planning, and even the smallest exposure will help our students become better readers.