I am a huge proponent of reading aloud for pure joy with no strings attached. These moments are one of the best ways to foster a true love of reading within your students. However, I also know the immense power of interactive read alouds and the great effect in has on our young readers. For example, did you know that interactive read alouds can build community as well as vocabulary and communication skills? They are also an excellent opportunity to bring diversity into your classroom.   So what’s the difference between simply opening up a book and reading it aloud versus an interactive read aloud? For one thing, interactive read alouds are pre-planned. This needs to be an intentional time with intentional texts.   It truly is the foundation for instruction in your classroom! It’s going to be what provides every kind of student with rich learning opportunities. An effective interactive read aloud structure involves three parts: introducing the text, reading the text, and discussing the text. I’m going to share how to implement each of these three parts in today’s episode, as well as ideas for extensions.   In this episode I share: -Why interactive read alouds are so important -The role of the teacher and students during read alouds -How to set expectations and set the scene for an interactive read aloud -What to consider when choosing engaging book titles -Using hand signals to increase engagement and productivity -An ideal length for your read aloud and how to stick to that timeframe   SHOW NOTES: theliteracydive.com/podcast-episode44   Related Resources: -Reading Response Sentence Stem Posters -Reading Response Bookmarks -Reading and Writing Sticky Note Bundle   Connect with me: -Check out my TpT Store -Subscribe to my E-mail list -Instagram Posts -Blog Posts -Facebook Posts -Watch my YouTube channel    If you are enjoying The Literacy Dive Podcast, please subscribe, leave a rating, and a helpful review! It is much appreciated and thank you for listening!