My greatest pleasure, when substituting for the younger
grades, is reading to the class. I was
lucky enough to enjoy this privilege when my own children were in grade school.
My children would choose their favorite
stories for me to read to the class, usually Dr. Seuss or Bill Peet books. Other times, they wanted me to read one of my
works-in-progress, a new children’s adventure short story. For those, I’d bring in visuals, magazine
photos of bats or caves, or family camping photos of locations we’d visited. Sometimes my son or daughter would draw
pictures to go along with my children’s stories.
Whenever we
have extra time in class or if the teacher says that the substitute can either
read a story to the class or allow free play time, I choose to read to the
students. And I don’t just read. I sing, as in the poetry of the words of the
story. In the youngest stories there is
usually a cadence, a flow that a reader can capture for the children. Dr Seuss and Bill Peet (and many other authors)
excel at having a rhythm to their story words.
Then there
are the possibilities in the stories.
What happens next? Always give
the children a chance to think about what could happen next and what it would
mean to the protagonist [main character] of the story. This works on students’ critical thinking
skills.
Reading a
good story to students can relieve tension in the classroom, both the teacher’s
and the students’. After a session of structured
teaching, reading can allow teachers and students the chance to relax and ready
themselves for the next subject.
If you’re ever lost for something
to do when substituting, or if the students are becoming rambunctious while you
struggle with lesson plans, pluck a book from the classroom bookshelves and bring
the students to the carpet. Reading
gives both children and adults a chance to imagine the possibilities.