Reading Aloud to High School Students
Suggestions from Cathy Belben, Librarian, Burlington-Edison High School
Updated November 2006
The following books and stories are those with which I have had success
as a high school English teacher. Usually, I gave students a brief summary
of several books and let them choose which one I would read, and then I read
aloud daily for about 7-10 minutes, usually at the beginning or end of the
period. While most of these books contain little or no material that could be
considered offensive, I highly recommend reading them yourself before sharing
them aloud.
Suggestions for selecting read aloud
material.
Novels and longer work recommended for reading aloud (Belben's list)
Short stories and essays recommended for high
school classes.
Reading Aloud to Children--Tips for High School Students
Research and information about reading aloud, its importance, and its impact:
| Read-aloud guru Jim Trelease's website--includes info on the 42 million word gap and other fascinating facts about the importance of reading to students of all ages. |
| Reading Aloud--Is It Worth It?--A great article about the value of reading aloud. Includes research data, anecdotal data, and suggestions. |
| If Teens Want to Listen, Why Do We Shut Up? This article from School Library Journal has some great ideas, as well as book lists. |