BY LYNN BROWN AND TIFFANY WATSON The Importance of Non-Fiction Read-Alouds and Activities to Teach Vocabulary in Kindergarten

Why We Chose Read-Alouds? As kindergarten teachers we can see firsthand the power of read alouds to teach content and build vocabulary. Many times Kindergarten teachers have the task of creating student’s background knowledge in all content areas. Read-aloud experiences also build on the prior knowledge other students have already acquired. Reading aloud across the curriculum is a powerful tool in meeting the standards in the new Common Core.

Our Research Findings Recurring successful strategies: Repeated Read-Alouds Interactive Read-Alouds Comprehension Activities Effective Questioning Interactive Class Discussions All genres to teach across the curriculum

Ten Commandments of Read- Alouds By Mem Fox 1. Spend at least ten wildly happy minutes every single day reading aloud. 2. Read at least three stories a day: it may be the same story three times. Children need to hear a thousand stories before they can begin to learn to read. 3. Read aloud with animation. Listen to your own voice and don’t be dull, or flat, or boring. Hang loose and be loud, have fun and laugh a lot. 4. Read with joy and enjoyment: real enjoyment for yourself and great joy for the listeners. 5. Read the stories that the kids love, over and over and over again, and always read in the same ‘tune’ for each book: i.e. with the same intonations on each page, each time. 6. Let children hear lots of language by talking to them constantly about the pictures, or anything else connected to the book; or sing any old song that you can remember; or say nursery rhymes in a bouncy way; or be noisy together doing clapping games. 7. Look for rhyme, rhythm or repetition in books for young children, and make sure the books are really short. 8. Play games with the things that you and the child can see on the page, such as letting kids finish rhymes, and finding the letters that start the child’s name and yours, remembering that it’s never work, it’s always a fabulous game. 9. Never ever teach reading, or get tense around books. 10. Please read aloud every day, mums and dads, because you just love being with your child, not because it’s the right thing to do.

Importance of Repeated Readings In the articles we read, research supports: A single reading of a book is not sufficient for teaching. Repeated readings are essential for maximum student learning. Through re-reads teachers can focus and spend appropriate time on any chosen vocabulary words. “These studies suggest that merely reading books aloud is not sufficient for accelerating children's oral vocabulary development and listening comprehension. Instead, the way books are shared with children is what matters.”

Read Aloud: Comprehension

Importance of Interactive Read-Alouds Children gain through experiences that are interactive and invite all students to respond and discuss about what was read. Include a wide variety of texts that engage the students through the rich vocabulary and eye-catching illustrations. Continue to associate reading with warm, pleasant feelings; learn about words and language; build listening skills; expand vocabularies; talk about the characters, settings, and plot then relate them to their own lives; gain knowledge about a variety of topics, Discover which authors and writing styles they (children) like. Explore social and moral issues and behaviors. Gain exposure to a variety of writing styles and structures. “Repeated interactive read-alouds, allow teachers to scaffold children’s understanding of the book being read, model strategies for making inferences and exclamations, and teach vocabulary and concepts.” Lea M. McGee and Judith Schickedanz

Our Research on Non-Fiction Read-Alouds February-Two main topics we cover in Kindergarten are “Dental Health” and “The Presidents.” We wanted to focus our learning on these units through non-fiction read-alouds. We met before and chose appropriate books our focused vocabulary words and activities to build vocabulary.

“Dental Health” Vocabulary Words Purpose: To assess student’s prior knowledge with the following vocabulary words: Incisor Molar Fluoride Plaque Enamel Process: Teachers administered the assessment to the whole class. Each Vocabulary word was read and students circled the picture they thought to be correct. Results: Data was analyzed to guide instruction.

Circle The Right Choice

KWL Chart Prior to the read alouds about dental health, we began a KWL chart with students. The students shared what they already know and what they want to learn about dental health. The KWL charts were posted and referred to as the learning continued. At the end, students shared what they learned.

Dental Health Non-fiction Read-Alouds. We chose the following non-fiction books to guide instruction and introduce our featured vocabulary words. The books we chose are engaging in their rich vocabulary and eye-catching illustrations. These books have labeled diagrams, captions, bubbling and charts. We added a re-read element to enhance student learning. Read-Aloud Books I Know Why I Brush My Teeth. By Kate Rowan. Staying Healthy: Dental Care. By Alice B. McGinty

“Choose the Right Answer” This activity was introduced by Mrs. Amie Snow, an Instructor with ASU. 1. Do incisors cut into food or grind food? 2. Are there four or eight canine teeth in your mouth? 3. What do we use our molars for: bite into an apple or chew steak? 4. Where do we find fluoride: In toothpaste or bubble gum? 5. What is a cavity: a hole in a tooth or sugar?

Assessments Writings: Shared Writing Journaling Individual Student Books These writings should include detailed illustrations, labeling, bubbling and the vocabulary learned. Circle the Right Choice! Student responses during discussions. KWL Chart

“Dental Health” Shared Writing labeling information detail

“Presidents” After our Dental Health unit, we began our focus on “Presidents.” These are the vocabulary words we chose to feature: 1. President 2. Barak Obama 3. White House 4. George Washington 5. Washington D.C. 6. Abraham Lincoln

“Presidents” Assessment

Bubble Map: George Washington George Washington

Bubble Map: Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln

Bubble Map: Barak Obama Barak Obama

Choose the Right Answer: “President” We directed our students to “choose the right answer” when asked the following questions: 1.Does the President: make laws or rule a school? 2.Is Washington D.C.: where laws are made or where milk is made? 3.Who lives in the White House: The Principal or President? 4.Was George Washington: the 16th or 1st President? 5.Was Abraham Lincoln: the 1st or 16th President? 6.Who is our current President: George Bush or Barak Obama ?

Individual Student Writings

Series Pink=Lynn Series Blue=Tiffany Dental Health Pre-Test Data

Dental Health Post Test Data Pink=Lynn Black=Tiffany

Presidents Pre-Test Data Blue=Lynn Red=Tiffany

Presidents Post-Test Data Blue=Lynn Red=Tiffany

Further Findings We contrasted the means between the pre and post tests and found that the means of the post tests were significantly higher(.000 in order for us to get the results we got, were 1 in 10,000.) Post test scores were much higher than pre- test scores. We concluded through our non-fiction read alouds that are students learned the focused vocabulary.

Works Cited Annotated Bibliography Hoffman, Jessica. Constructing Meaning. The Reading Teacher. pp November Kindle, Karen J. Vovabulary Development During Read-Alouds: Primary Practices. The Reading Teacher. 63(3.) pp Koralek, Derry. Reading Aloud with Children of All Ages. Reading is Fundamental, Inc. Laminack, Lester L. and Reba M. Wadsworth. Reading Aloud Across the Curriculum. Portsmouth, NH McGee, Lea M. and Schickedanz, Judith A. Repeated interactive read-alouds in Preschool and Kindergarten. The Reading Teacher. 60(8), Santoro, Lana Edwards, David J. Chard, Lisa Howard and Scott K. Baker. Making the Very Most of Classroom Read-Alouds to Promote Comprehension and Vocabulary. The Reading Teacher Vol. 61, No. 5 February 2008