Week 4B: Interactive Read-Alouds

On page 71 of Thompkins she explains the value and importance of interactive read-alouds.  Many people may picture that elementary school teaching reading aloud to her students something along the lines of The Three Little Pigs or my favorite anything from Roald Dahl.  Believe it or not this strategy is what history teachers, instructors of expository writing must also do.  They should be taking time to read well written journal articles, web resources, textbooks on the content aloud to their students.  Instructing them to listen with a writers eye.  This means considering the 6+1/writers craft that was effectively (or ineffectively) accomplished in the writing process.  Providing direct instruction in how to break texts down and identify and see the 6+1 traits in model texts does I have found directly impact their ability to apply these skills to their own writing.