Listen+to+Reading

**Listen to Reading**
Listening to an adult model fluent reading, increases students’ own fluency and comprehension skills (Trelease, 2001), as well as expanding their vocabulary, background knowledge, sense of story, awareness of genre and text structure, and comprehension of the texts read (Wu & Samuels, 2004). Yet few teachers above 1st grade read aloud to their students every day (Jacobs, Morrison, & Swinyard, 2000). Reading aloud is the foundation for literacy development. It is the single most important activity for reading success (Neuman, Copple, & Bredekamp, 2000). It provides children with a demonstration of phrased, fluent reading (Fountas & Pinnell, 1996). It reveals the rewards of reading, and develops the listener’s interest in books and desire to be a reader (Mooney, 1990). The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) found that children who are read to three or more times per week are more likely to know their letters, count to 20 or higher, write their own names, and actually read when they enter school (Nord, Lennon, Liu, Westat & Chandler, 1999). Listening to others read develops key understanding and skills, such as an appreciation for how a story is written and familiarity with book conventions, such as “once upon a time” and “happily ever after” (Bredekamp et al., 2000). Reading aloud demonstrates the relationship between the printed word and meaning – children understand that print tells a story or conveys information – and invites the listener into a conversation with the author.

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 * Resources**
 * [|Storyline Online - actors & actresses read to you!]
 * [|RIF Reading Planet]
 * [|The Robert Munsch Web Site]
 * [|Mem Fox Read-Alouds]
 * [|Stories to Grow By]
 * [|Starfall]
 * [|CBeebies Stories]
 * [|Stories for Early Readers - can read alone or click & it will read]
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 * @http://www.kids-and-games.com/stories.htm
 * @http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/laac/story/sbi.shtml
 * @http://www.candlelightstories.com/soundstoryblog/SoundStoryBlog.htm
 * @http://www.dreamtime.net.au/dreaming/storylist.htm
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 * [] - Clifford stories from Scholastic
 * [|www.storycove.com] - Story Cove is a highly-acclaimed, multimedia reading program based on folktales from the world's oral traditions.
 * [] - PreK-2 Listen and Read stories from Scholastic