A common library theme across social media seems to be disengaged students.

Students that are struggling with returning to in person school. Students that are having a hard time being in a full class with 20 or more students. Students that are still dealing with the trauma of a pandemic. And of course, the loss of learning that has occurred because of unstable wifi or lack of devices.

All of that leads to students that are less engaged than before.

Or more precisely, it feels more difficult to engage students and then keep them engaged.

Reading is Important

As School Librarians and Library Media Specialists, we know the importance of reading.

We know that students who read and are read to are:

• critical thinkers
• have a large vocabulary
• have greater employment access

Reading is important.

The trick is getting kids to want to read, and be read to.

All of that knowledge doesn’t mean that our students are going to sit quiet and still for a read aloud.

I don’t know about you, but I am not a theater major. While I can do a few voices with some read alouds, I don’t always remember to switch voices and sometimes forget which tone or accent I previously used. This happens to me even when I read a 32 page picture book!

How to Engaging Students in Read Alouds

Just reading aloud doesn’t guarantee students are going to enjoy it. Or that they are going to sit calmly and quietly while we read. Or that they’ll want to answer any of our questions we may ask before, during, or after reading to them.

If we want students to love a read aloud, we need a few tricks up our sleeve.

1. We need to know our patrons. I know that my students love scary, suspenseful, and funny books. They love a good escape from reality. Think about what your students enjoy and choose books that will tap into those preferences.
2. We need to like the books we are reading. Students know when we are faking it and they won’t be into a book that we’re not. Try to read the book before you read it to them and make sure you enjoy it. Otherwise, you’ll have loads of side convos and playing going on.
3. Pump them up for the read aloud. Pump them up for the read aloud by giving them a purpose for reading it. Try a purpose that is going to hook them. For example, “What would you do if your favorite food started following you everywhere?” is an intriguing question that hooks them into Creepy Carrots.
4. Have some activities that connect to the read aloud. This could be as simple as young students drawing their favorite part, or older students sharing what they learned. It can be as complex as choice based stations that get students engaged in a theme. Honestly, after the last couple of years of unusual teaching and learning our kids need those making & building activities. They need to build and redevelop their motor skills and reconnect to being a kid.
5. Augment the read aloud. Remember how I said that I’m no theater major? Well, there’s an app for that! And my students love it when I use that app to augment the read aloud.

Augment & Engage Read Aloud with an App

Augment means to change. We can absolutely augment our read alouds!

The app that my students and I love to use to augment my read alouds is Novel Effect.

Novel Effect adds sounds effects to the books you read aloud. It’s pretty darn cool because it listens to your voice and adds the sounds based on where you are in the book.

That means, when you read:

• Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, you hear the bus and traffic.
• The Dark, you hear the creaking of the door and steps.
• Bear Snores On, you hear the bear actually snoring!

The sound effects hook students into the book. It makes them feel like they are really there. It invites them into the setting and action of the story. And who doesn’t want to feel that way when reading?

Because the students are immersed in the book, they are focused on the read aloud.

Side conversations cease. Instead they start to speak to the characters, whisper their predictions, and exclaim anticipations.

Squirming around happens a lot less. Instead, the kids lean in to get closer to the book. They really do feel like they’re in it!

If you’re looking for a new and novel way to engage students in your read alouds I highly recommend Novel Effect. You won’t regret it!