Kristen Simmons

Clarissa Thompson
EDU 330
December 13, 2016

Final Read Aloud Reflection

Throughout the semester, the professor for this course read an entire YA novel,
Sherman Alexies The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, out loud. Overall, I
found the experience to be quite enjoyable. Since the books main character, Junior, has
such a strong voice, it only strengthens it when the first-person narrative is read out loud.
However, I did find it difficult to follow along with the story at certain points; this mainly
has to do with the fact that I personally like doing menial tasks, like washing the dishes or
driving my car, while listening to audio media like audiobooks or podcasts. So, while I do
have a good understanding of the storys plot, I found it difficult to concentrate on the
smaller details since I really had nothing to do other than sit still and listen.
I do, however, see the value in reading aloud. There are a lot of different writing
genres and/or styles that really suit the read aloud convention. As I previously mentioned,
reading aloud first-person narratives greatly helps give a voice to the written words, both
literally and figuratively. I also believe that poetry is a form of writing that is excellent to
read aloud. The tone and infliction of ones voice can emphasize meanings, rhythms, and
nuances of an authors writing. And, along with the concepts of book talks, reading aloud
is a great way of introducing a text to an audience of potential readers. After all, while

listening to a fellow peer passionately rave about a book is incredibly powerful, hearing
an actual direct passage read aloud can be the selling point that allows the listener to
make the decision if the book is a right fit for him/her.
The act of reading aloud is often associated with elementary students and picture
books. But, I personally do think that reading aloud can be beneficial for students at the
secondary level because of that person-to-person vocal connection. It could also promote
engagement, imaginative thinking, and mental imagery for some students, similar to how
parents read a story to their young children before bedtime. And, even if not all students
experience this during read aloud, the act itself, especially if it is done on a daily basis,
lends a hand in fostering reading as a regular habit.
As a prospective educator, I would most likely do read aloud at the beginning of a
class period, similar to how Clarissa does it in her courses, because of how it could easily
turn into a daily routine. I would love to specifically try reading aloud genres like poetry,
short stories, and Young Adult literature to my future secondary students. The reasoning
behind selecting these types of writings are simple: poetry and short stories are quick to
read and encourage the in-depth discussions that are often needed for those types of texts;
meanwhile, YA is accessible enough that students can listen to the speaker reading aloud
without having to worry about analyzing everything that is spoken.
So, to conclude, I definitely believe that there are both positive and negatives with
read aloud. It is by no means for everyone, but I think that there is enough benefits to the
practice that I would try using it in my own classroom someday.