Reading Aloud

Reading aloud to a class full of students who are into a story and are following along is one of my favorite things to do as a substitute. Such was the case a few days before the end of the school year when I subbed for half a day in a 4th grade classroom a couple of weeks ago.

Fourth grade is the year the students study California history. Many teacher do something with the book By The Great Horn Spoon by Sid Fleischman. The book is a work of historical fiction that incorporates the California goldrush of 1849 into the story. The great benefit of this kind of book is that it brings the era alive for the students and gives them yet another avenue for comprehending history. Some of the third grades in my area read a book about a young white boy who learns the ways of the local Indians called Indians of the Oaks by Melicent H. Lee, which fits well with their study of history on the local level. In fifth grade, when they study American history, some classes read Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes. Another fourth grade book that gets read by some is Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell. Though this one can be a challenge, it covers some of the history of earlier California. All of these books can be engaging and educational for the students.

As a substitute I have read many chapters in these and other books. The trouble is, I rarely get to read the whole book! Until this year I didn't know the beginning OR the ending of Indians of the Oaks until I finally asked one of the teachers! Fortunately I have read By the Great Horn Spoon before so when I substituted recently and was reading chapter 12 (or there abouts) I knew what was going on. Getting to change voices, be dramatic, and just generally put on a little show when I read, is great fun for everyone and keeps the students interested. Not only that, it makes the material more accessible to students who might not otherwise be capable of reading these books. It's ashame the kids don't get more of this but curriculum and testing pressures have taken their toll and not as much of this is done in the classroom.