Renée Watson is a poet, a teacher, and an award-winning author of books for young readers, including the Ryan Hart middle grade series, the picture book biography Harlem’s Little Blackbird: The Florence Mills Story, the story of Maya Angelou told in free verse (Maya’s Song), the picture book Born on the Water, and the middle grade novel Some Places More Than Others. Many of her books are inspired by her experiences growing up as a Black girl in the Pacific Northwest.
Research has demonstrated that the most effective read alouds are those where children are actively involved asking and answering questions and making predictions, rather than passively listening. This article describes in detail a technique for a three-step interactive read aloud using sophisticated storybooks.
Making the teaching of reading into a research-based profession requires that research findings be trustworthy and understandable to the classroom teacher. This article summarizes recent initiatives to improve the use of reading research in the classroom, and argues for increased efforts in these areas.
