The Read-Aloud Scaffold: Best Books to Enhance Content Area Curriculum, Grades Pre-K-3

194 Pages·2011·1.84 MB·English

by  Judy Bradbury

The Read-Aloud Scaffold

The Read-Aloud Scaffold
Best Books to Enhance Content Area Curriculum
Grades Pre-K–3
Judy Bradbury
Copyright 2011 by Judy Bradbury
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted,
in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, except for the
inclusion of brief quotations in a review or reproducibles, which may be copied for classroom and educational
programs only, without prior permission in writing from the publisher.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Bradbury, Judy.
The read-aloud scaff old : best books to enhance content area curriculum, grades pre-K-3 / Judy Bradbury.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 978-1-59884-684-3 (pbk. : acid-free paper) — ISBN 978-1-59884-685-0 (ebook)
1. Reading (Elementary)—United States. 2. Language arts (Elementary)—United States. 3. Content
area reading—United States. I. Title.
LB1573.B6918 2011
372.47'6—dc23 2011023169
ISBN: 978-1-59884-684-3
EISBN: 978-1-59884-685-0
15 14 13 12 11 1 2 3 4 5
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ABC-CLIO, LLC
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Santa Barbara, California 93116-1911
This book is printed on acid-free paper
Manufactured in the United States of America
This book is dedicated to teachers everywhere who
cherish an open book—and the world within it—
and share that love joyfully with children.
“Literature can carry the consciousness of human times and social life better than
anything else.”—Thomas McGuane

Contents
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix
SECTION I Outstanding Read-Aloud Choices to Scaffold
Instruction in the Content Areas 1
SECTION II In the Spotlight 55
SECTION III A Closer Look 121
SECTION IV Poetry Pause Bookshelf 139
SECTION V Additional Resources for Teachers and Librarians 145
Author Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .157
Illustrator Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .163
Subject Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .169
Title Index. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .173

Introduction
The value of using children’s trade books in the classroom as a vital component
of the literature program has long been touted and is widely recognized as sound
practice for developing lifelong readers. Reading aloud to children promotes a love
of books. The more children value books and enjoy the reading experience, the
more books they will read. The more they read, the better students they will be, and
the better the student a child is, the more success he or she will encounter in school
and in lifelong learning beyond the classroom.
Time dedicated to sowing the seeds of learning and developing an appreciation
and enjoyment of rich literature is parsed when test taking overshadows the land-
scape of the elementary school arena. Trade books in particular are set aside in or-
der to give full attention to standard texts, standardized tests, and rigid rubrics.
Time, it is felt, is too short.
Indeed it is. All the more reason to pick up a trade book, a luscious, accessible work
of art in the form of a full-color picture book, and invest fi fteen minutes in suff using
a child’s senses. A well-chosen book augments and enhances the institutional fare
that feeds the tests. In just 15 minutes, a carefully selected, well-targeted picture
book and a simply prepared read-aloud plan can scaff old learning, strengthen
content area concepts, enliven the senses, and add dimension to straightforward
instructional material. It makes learning memorable and thereby enhances re-
tention.
Add another 15 to 30 seconds, yes s econds , at another point in your busy instruc-
tional day reading a poem that eff ectively connects to the concept you’ve taught
through traditional texts and reinforced with a trade book read-aloud, and you’ve
tripled your dosage, strengthened the scaff old, and added a layer of lovely language
to the day. Simple genius, and simply gratifying—once you have the materials you
need at hand.
This resource book off ers teachers and librarians over 700 content area con-
nections through carefully selected trade books representing outstanding read-
aloud choices that augment content area learning. Fiction as well as nonfi ction titles
are referenced. Included is detailed information about outstanding children’s trade
books across a spectrum of genres refl ecting popular themes in content area