Great books to read aloud

Reading stories out loud to your class is never a waste of time, says Nikki Gamble, even in KS2. The trick is to pick the best books for the job, and here’s how...

Reading aloud to your class is good for them. It’s official. The arguments for reading aloud to children throughout the primary years – long after they can read for themselves – are compelling. With younger children, the value is widely appreciated. Even before children can talk, reading to them aloud stimulates language development (Bardige, 2009) and the practice is well established in early years classrooms. However, as the pressures of a tightly packed curriculum increase throughout KS2, the question of whether it’s worth dedicating time to daily reading is frequently raised by teachers wanting to make the best possible use of the school day. The simple answer is yes, it is. And the research backs it up, highlighting the benefits of reading aloud for both reading and general education attainment (Elley 1989, Senechal 1993). It is through listening to stories read aloud, skilfully, by experienced readers, that children see images of their future reading selves. The teacher’s expression and intonation model expressive reading and ‘lessons’ are assimilated without children being aware they are being taught.

Jim Trelease, one of the most well known advocates for reading aloud to children, reminds us that “children can hear and understand stories that are more complicated and more interesting than anything they could read on their own” (The Read Aloud Handbook, Penguin, 2006). Listening to complex stories increases children’s knowledge and understanding, which, along with the rich and complex vocabulary they encounter, serves to develop their reading comprehension. Furthermore, reading aloud makes literary language accessible and a source of delight.

Choosing the right book is crucial

There are a few things to bear in mind when selecting your read aloud. First, there are many great books that do not read aloud well. You may have experienced trying to deliver a favourite book that reads perfectly well on the page but doesn’t translate into a great shared reading experience. Second, while you will want to choose something that has appeal, the value in reading to your class is to introduce a book that children may not be able to read for themselves, or one they may not automatically pick as an independent read.

The read aloud session is a fantastic opportunity to open up the world of books, to broaden children’s reading experiences and to refine their tastes. Think about the breadth of stories children are introduced to over the course of their primary years. Do they encounter the same writers many times over, or are they introduced to classic, wellestablished, and exciting new writers? Keeping an eye on the major prizes – The UKLA Book Award, The Carnegie and Greenaway Awards and The Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize – will help you to keep your selections refreshed.

Here are some top tips for selecting good read alouds:

1 Choose books with strong rhythms and rhyme

This way you can invite the children to join in by supplying any rhyming words, or by memorising a refrain. There is a good reason why Julia Donaldson’s rhyming stories are so popular. Widen the choice to include books by Tony Mitton, Giles Andreae, Julia Jarman, Lynley Dodd, Kaye Umansky, Jez Alborough and Quentin Blake.

Steve Webb’s Tanka, Tanka Skunk introduces children to the rhythm of language as the words mimic the sound of a drum beat. Be prepared for a riot of noise and lots of laughter.

2 Choose books that have a performative element

Mo Willems’ pigeon stories (Don’t let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, The Pigeon Wants a Puppy, The Duckling gets a Cookie) are pure pantomime and lend themselves to the reader taking on the character in the story. If you have another adult helping in the classroom then a joint reading can be great fun. Ann Bonwill’s I Don’t want to be a Pea also works well with two readers taking the parts of Bella the Hippo and Hugo the Bird. These books work best when you really ‘go for it’. So give it some gusto.

3 Choose books that encourage participation

Chris Wormell’s Scruffy Bear and the Six White Mice tells the story of six tiny mice protected from Owl, Fox and Snake by Scruffy Bear, who outwits the predators with plausible explanations for the fluffy white balls rolled up by his feet.

With a few props, children can take on the role of mice and hunters while the teacher narrates the story as Scruffy Bear. For older children, stories with lots of characters and dialogue can be brought to life using readers’ theatre, where the different characters’ dialogue is highlighted and read by the children. Steven Butler’s hilarious Wrong Pong stories lend themselves to this treatment. Give the children a chance to familiarise themselves with the characters before reading to get the most out of this approach.

4 Choose books with adventurous vocabulary

It is through hearing stories read aloud that children will acquire new words and develop an interest in language. A large vocabulary is vital for reading comprehension and children need to meet words in rich contexts before they come across them in their own reading, or use them in their writing. There’s a balance to be struck as a story that is overwritten can become weighed down by its vocabulary. Lengthy descriptions generally slow down the pace of the story, so you will need to think about whether a story with long descriptive passages will work well for your shared class reader. Lissa Evans’ Small Change for Stuart and Big Change for Stuart strike the perfect balance. They are magical adventure stories that move along at a cracking pace, at the same time displaying a wordsmith’s interest in language and words, making this a good choice for Y4 upwards.

5 Choose stories that are written with a distinctive voice

Look for books where it feels as though the writer is speaking directly to you. John Boyne’s The Terrible Thing That Happened to Barnaby Brocket is a charming and whimsical story about an unusual boy born into an ordinary family. Barnaby’s unique quality is that he floats forever upwards unless he is weighed down or restrained; until the terrible thing happens and Barnaby’s parents let him go… Boyne has interesting things to say, and he says them in interesting ways.

6 Choose stories that have complexity and emotional impact

Character and theme are the heartbeat of the story. Frank Cottrell Boyce’s The Unforgotten Coat explores the impact of being a refugee and the immigration system on children. Boyce writes with humour and warmth, so although the story deals with profound issues, young readers are encouraged to optimism rather than despair. Reading stories that deal with universal human themes encourages readers to walk in the shoes of the characters and develop empathy and wisdom.

7 Choose stories that elicit an emotional response

Whether it be laughter, sadness, shock or making the hairs on the back of the neck rise. There is no adventure without jeopardy, no horror without a frisson of tension. Carols Ruiz Zafon’s The Prince of Mist and The Midnight Palace provide just enough chills and suspense for a reasonably robust Y5 or Y6 class.