Three Ways to Insert Activity into a Read Aloud

We all know that kids need to move it, move it!  The struggle then becomes how to incorporate a little movement into the lessons without totally losing control!  I have 3 ways you can incorporate movement into your read aloud to help keep kids engaged in the story AND get some activity.

 Do a Little Dance!

Think about the context of your story.  Where is it taking place?  What country or culture does it come from?  Play some music that relates and let them dance.

While studying comparing and contrasting, we read the original Cinderella and several versions.  One of the ones we read was Cindy Ellen: A Wild Western Cinderella.  Instead of a ball, Cindy Ellen attends a square dance!  Right before Cindy Ellen heads off to the dance, I played this video:

The kids LOVED it!  They got a little activity AND understood the story a little more.

Verbs=Actions

Before you read to the class, go through the book and list all the actions that kids can do.  Walk, run, skip, hop, twirl, swim, etc.  

If you want the class to act out the words as they hear them, preteach the words by giving students the action you want them to do.  Then, as you read, pause so students can act out the verb.  

Another way to use this method is to just pause through out the story and call out the words you would like them to act out.

Act out the learning!

This strategy is a great way to help your kinesthetic learners.  As you get to certain parts of the story or text, students can act out what they are understanding or events that are happening.

for example, We recently read a nonfiction text about insects and the metamorphosis they go through.  Students were already familiar with the changes a butterfly goes through. When we got through that section of the text, I guided student through acting out the life cycle.  They started as eggs, emerged as caterpillars, formed a chrysalis and finally emerged as butterflies that fluttered around the room.

These are 3 of the strategies I use to incorporate reading and activity, what are you doing?