Think Aloud
Definition and Purpose
Teachers use think-alouds to teach children how to direct and monitor their thinking during reading. Teachers are demonstrating for their students what capable readers do independently. After they watch their teacher think aloud, children practice the procedure by thinking aloud about the literacy strategies that they are learning in class. Through their think-aloud students respond to the text they are reading, identify big ideas, ask self-questions, make connections, figure out how to solve problems and reflect on their strategy use.
Think-alouds can be effective because they teach children how to become active readers. They learn how to think metacognitively and to regulate their own cognitive processes. Once children are familiar with using think-alouds, teachers can use them as an assessment tool.
Steps
1. Teachers chose a text, often a big book, that students are familiar with in order to demonstrate how to think aloud.
2. Teachers decide which strategies they want to demonstrate, where they will pause, and the kinds of thinking they want to share.
3. Teachers read the text, pausing to think aloud, explaining what they are thinking and how they are using a certain strategy to help them solve a reading problem. They often use “I” sentence starters including: I wonder if… I didn’t understand why… and I reread this part because…
4. Teachers write a small sticky note about their thinking and attach it beside the text that caused their think-aloud.
5. Teachers continue reading the book, pausing to think aloud again and add notes about their thinking.
6. Teaches review their notes, talk about strategy use and reflect on the usefulness of think-alouds as a tool to help them comprehend what they are reading.
7. Teachers repeat the procedure by choosing another book and allowing the children to take turns thinking aloud and annotating the text. Once children become familiar with think-alouds they practice doing them in small groups or with a partner.
Application and Examples
When reading aloud, teachers can stop from time to time and orally complete sentences including the following:
Teachers use think-alouds to teach children how to direct and monitor their thinking during reading. Teachers are demonstrating for their students what capable readers do independently. After they watch their teacher think aloud, children practice the procedure by thinking aloud about the literacy strategies that they are learning in class. Through their think-aloud students respond to the text they are reading, identify big ideas, ask self-questions, make connections, figure out how to solve problems and reflect on their strategy use.
Think-alouds can be effective because they teach children how to become active readers. They learn how to think metacognitively and to regulate their own cognitive processes. Once children are familiar with using think-alouds, teachers can use them as an assessment tool.
Steps
1. Teachers chose a text, often a big book, that students are familiar with in order to demonstrate how to think aloud.
2. Teachers decide which strategies they want to demonstrate, where they will pause, and the kinds of thinking they want to share.
3. Teachers read the text, pausing to think aloud, explaining what they are thinking and how they are using a certain strategy to help them solve a reading problem. They often use “I” sentence starters including: I wonder if… I didn’t understand why… and I reread this part because…
4. Teachers write a small sticky note about their thinking and attach it beside the text that caused their think-aloud.
5. Teachers continue reading the book, pausing to think aloud again and add notes about their thinking.
6. Teaches review their notes, talk about strategy use and reflect on the usefulness of think-alouds as a tool to help them comprehend what they are reading.
7. Teachers repeat the procedure by choosing another book and allowing the children to take turns thinking aloud and annotating the text. Once children become familiar with think-alouds they practice doing them in small groups or with a partner.
Application and Examples
When reading aloud, teachers can stop from time to time and orally complete sentences including the following:
- So far, I've learned...
- This made me think of...
- That didn't make sense.
- I think ___ will happen next.
- I reread that part because...
- I was confused by...
- I think the most important part was...
- That is interesting because...
- I wonder why...
- I just thought of...