What Do These Titles Have in Common?

What do Summer of the Monkeys, The Indian in the Cupboard, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, and From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler have in common?

Many would say they are classics. Some would say they are old-fashioned. The common ground for me is that they are books I remember listening to when I was a student in Ms. Siefken’s fourth-grade class. I can clearly recall her emotion as she read, remember visualizing key moments, and asking to reread each book independently after she had finished. Each day after lunch recess, we would get lost in her read-alouds, disappointed when it was time to stop.

This experience is so seared in my mind that to this day I can picture the classroom setup, where I sat, and how Ms. Siefken wove her way through the rows as she wove the stories through our lives. The 20 minutes she read felt like 5, and it was by far my favorite time of the day. She exposed me to books I never would have chosen on my own, and opened the door to many more. Little did I know then that I would one day be in her position with a class of my own, and that I too would have the opportunity to inspire and engage young readers. And so do you.

For many of you, the daily read-aloud is already a passion. For some of you it is a practice you are refining or a goal you’re working on. Here are three ways you can get more involved.

February 5 is World Read Aloud Day. LitWorld founded World Read Aloud Day 10 years ago. If you register, you’ll be joining people all around the globe who honor and celebrate the power of shared stories. Learn more and register here.

The Global Read Aloud will kick off October 5, but it isn’t too soon to sign up. This project was also created 10 years ago but uses one book title to connect the world. Sign up here.

Lastly, Daily CAFE members can tune in to this Coaching Series offering: Ready, Set, Read Aloud. We think Lori Sabo’s passion for reading aloud is contagious, and you will undoubtedly discover new titles to read to your own students.

Twenty-five years from now, what will your current students remember about you? Perhaps they, too, will sigh with contentment as they remember the stories you wove into their lives.