I let my 5th graders draw while I read aloud. I print out pages from an adult coloring book. They can color the design or free draw in the back. I have the kids put their sheet in their ELA notebook. That way they aren’t getting up to grab it while I read. You could also do an informal exit ticket—on a sticky note have them write what happened at the beginning, middle, and end of today’s reading.

Turn and talk moves are always useful especially during longer read alouds. I’ve learned to find 2-3 pausing points in a typical book that you can allow students to stop and process what they’ve heard by sharing with a shoulder partner. Giving just a few minutes to move and talk and then re-engage is so helpful for students.
You can also make building stamina a goal for your students.

You can also give your students something to listen for. (For example: John is going to find something that changes everything, listen and see if you can see what it is…..)

Interactive Read Alouds

Interactive Read Alouds

I provide my students with a notebook. You can get miniature doodle books on Amazon or create them with paper. While listening to the read-aloud, they draw a picture or record words that support their understanding of the story; these can be used later as comprehension checks if needed. Depending on my objective for the read-aloud, I may or may not provide pictures of the story. During and after the read-aloud, they can use their pictures/words to refresh their memory of the story while talking to a partner or engaging in small or whole-group instruction. For a chapter book read-aloud, I ensure there is a page for every chapter or amount that will be read aloud for the day. They create a table of contents at the beginning and use their drawings/words to refer to the story for key details to support their understanding.