Shared Reading and Reading Aloud

In first grade we engage in a variety of reading opportunities. Shared reading with a big book allows a focused introduction on reading strategies and sight words as well as other skills. The enlarged text allows all of the students to "share" in the reading of the text as well as makes it easier for the teacher to model. These texts are read and reread. The children also read to these stories to the class whenever we have a transition.
Author studies are a focused way for me to direct the read aloud with the children. These stories are used to teach higher level thinking and skills with stories that they are capable of understanding but not necessarily reading independently yet. Our first book study from the author Susan Meddaugh-the Martha series. They are great books that the children love and PBS has even made series out of it. We then did a nonfiction book study on the topic of pumpkins to talk about different purposes in reading and different ways texts can be organized. Now we are enjoying the Strega Nona series by Tomie de Paola.