The Ritual of Reading in the Classroom

In classrooms where the students can read for themselves, reading aloud often falls off the daily schedule. But it's a ritual well worth keeping—for the sake of literacy, the moral imagination, classroom bonds, and so much more. Long-time Heights teacher Tom Steenson encourages the teachers tending that flame, or wanting to rekindle it, in their own classrooms. Chapters: 2:08 Goals of reading aloud in the classroom 4:44 The artist sees, then helps others to see 11:47 Books that aren't landing 15:10 The read-aloud routine, scene-setting 18:35 Reading in a high school classroom 22:27 Separating instruction from narrative 24:59 The effect on teachers Links: Only the Lover Sings: Art and Contemplation by Josef Pieper The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien Augustine's Confessions translated by F. J. Sheed Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nihm by Robert C. O'Brien The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster Featured Opportunities: The Art of Teaching Conference at The Heights School (November 13-15, 2024) Also on the Forum: Classroom Ambience by Joseph Bissex The Read-Aloud Family featuring Sarah Mackenzie Stop Telling Your Son to Read: How to Inspire a Love of Reading featuring Tom Longao How to Master the Art of Reading Outside by Tom Longano