Planning an Interactive read aloud

Text Choice	The text you read for Interactive Read Aloud may be grade-level text or something a bit more complex because you will be reading it and guiding the students’ thinking. What’s most essential is that you choose a text that is well-written and compelling to students—a text that has one or more of the following qualities: High level of tension, such as tension between characters and/or fast- paced plot Touching story Factual text that is fascinating to students Emotionally-evocative situation Engaging character or story Complex plot, characters, or other elements A piece that elicited a strong reaction when you read it   (NOTE: See the Recommended Books for Interactive Read Aloud.)
Before Reading	Read the text at least once yourself so that your oral reading will be fluent, expressive, and clear. Choose your stopping points carefully! Think about places in the text where the students will want to respond or share a feeling, question, or idea. Plan only a few stopping points. Stop 2–4 times for a 20-minute read aloud, and only 2 times for a 10-minute read aloud. Think about how you will build excitement and engagement.
During Reading	Pause at strategic stopping points and listen to encourage student response. Let the students talk. If necessary, pass the book to the speaker so s/he can support ideas with evidence from the text. Model and name comprehension strategies and ways of thinking about books by thinking aloud and commenting on student thinking. Model and name positive discussion behaviors. Coach the conversation, but back out of it, guiding students’ talk “across the circle” to one another. Provide opportunities for students to turn and talk with partners. Engage students in thinking and growing theories about characters, themes, author’s purpose, and deeper structures of text. Reread or go back into the text to support the students’ conversation.
After Reading	​Invite students to use their new learning in book clubs, partnerships, and during Independent Reading. Sometimes (but not always), ask students to share their new learning by writing a response to the read aloud. (See Writing in Response to Reading for more info.)