Term

Spring 2019

Capstone

Capstone Project

Degree Name

MAEd

Facilitator(s)

Julia Reimer

Content Expert

Wendi Alessio

Abstract

Children’s literature as a read-aloud is a purposeful way for children to engage with books. This capstone explores the question: How can teachers make read-alouds engaging to students in a multi-age setting? While the story is being read, students actively listen and visualize the story by using their imagination. Teachers also ask a wide variety of questions to allow students to share their prior knowledge, ask questions, and support each others’ learning. By listening to and discussing multiple perspectives, students are able to critically think about the text. Engagement in this way can also help students better connect on an emotional level with the characters in the story. Next, there are numerous benefits of read-alouds. They can improve literacy skills such as listening, oral language, vocabulary, decoding, fluency, and comprehension. In addition to these literacy skills, students also learn how to empathize with others in their class and within the text. The read-aloud unit the author created incorporates elements of the schema theory and the transactional theory. By doing so, it provides third and fourth graders an opportunity to work together, create, discover, and make connections to the book through discussion, writing, vocabulary, and culminating activities.

Project Type

Curriculum

Keywords

Curriculum, Literacy, Reading, Multi-Age Education

dc_type

text

dc_publisher

DigitalCommons@Hamline

dc_format

application/pdf

dc_source

School of Education Student Capstone Projects

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