Making the very most of classroom read-alouds to promote comprehension and vocabulary

Santoro, L. E., Chard, D. J., Howard, L., & Baker, S. H. (2008). Making the very most of classroom read-alouds to promote comprehension and vocabulary. The Reading Teacher, 61(5), 396-408.


The authors outline a framework for incorporating reading comprehension strategy instruction with read-alouds. The target audience was first graders. What I liked about the framework:

• its smooth incorporation of well-known strategies and models


• its theory base


• its stress on higher-level comprehension


• its use of authentic texts


• its incorporation of standards


• its practical appeal and clear description

The whole idea is finding ways to incorporate meaning-based comprehension in testing-dominated classrooms. Here, science and social studies texts, both narrative and informational, are used, which is also a strength.

My only fear here is that we'll destroy the act of reading just for enjoyment, just for the love of books. The authors recommend we still do that, but I wonder, will we make the time?