4 Power Up Your Read-­Alouds As a child of the predigital era, my read-­aloud experience typically con- sisted of an advanced reader (like a parent or librarian), lit­ er ­ a­ture, and par- ticipants. I loved that engagement and would stare enthralled as the stories unfolded. The experience was a foundational, fond memory of youth. At its best, the read-­aloud is a per­for­mance for participants designed to pique inter- est and drive engagement (Keller 2012 Paganelli 2016). When an advanced reader models literacy development through read-­aloud, it can influence motivation and development in reading skill. According to Friedman, read-­aloud programs that have the greatest impact share the com- monality of an advanced reader to mediate the learner’s experience (1997). Learners who read and engage with a variety of stories have a greater likelihood of becoming lifelong readers and perform better in multiple mea­sures (Krashen 2004 Ross, McKechnie, and Rothbauer 2006). Read-­aloud is packed with posi- tive benefits and can be the cornerstone of many growth experiences. Reading Aloud: A Brief History The Oral Tradition We, as ­ humans, seem to be drawn to the act of reading aloud. Where do the origins of this attraction begin? Storytelling could ultimately be the source, dating back to around 200,000 BCE and the birth of ­ human speech. Story- telling is primal and found in multiple indigenous cultures that predate or coexist with drawn and written societal communication development. We find pattern and comfort in storytelling it is an ordered way to engage and learn about our chaotic existence. The learning conveyed in early storytelling was packed with practical information that served to sustain humanity (Delistraty 2014 Kluger 2017 Mendoza 2015). The early storytelling shared daily exis- tence, rituals, and events involving the hunt (Big Fish Pre­sen­ta­tions 2012). Verbal storytelling served the purpose of sharing information needed for ­ human survival and entertainment. The information sharing across time was only as accurate as the storyteller. The Symbolic Visual Tradition The symbolic visual tradition started around 30,000 BCE as a precursor to written language and as a method to communicate an idea or message over time. Cave paintings from around 15,000 BCE found in France display excel- lent examples of this early form of visual storytelling. The cave-­drawn images depict multiple animals, round dots, ­humans, and handprints. A set of Meso- potamian tablets from around 3500 BCE ­were found entombed in the shel- tering ­ Middle Eastern sands safe from the ele­ments. ­These tablets ­were covered in 100 key triangular alphabetic symbols needing to be deciphered
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