Connecticut Foundations of Reading Test (FORT) Practice

What is the purpose of a Read Aloud session?

1. To have students read silently

2. To model reading strategies and expand story understanding

3. To teach students how to critique texts

4. To encourage quiz-taking on text summaries

The correct answer is: To model reading strategies and expand story understanding

A Read Aloud session primarily serves to model reading strategies and enhance students' understanding of a story. During a Read Aloud, the educator demonstrates fluent reading by expressing emotion, varying tone, and pausing appropriately. This helps students to hear how skilled reading sounds, which can improve their own reading fluency and comprehension. Furthermore, Read Alouds allow for the introduction of rich vocabulary and concepts that may be beyond the students’ current reading level. As the teacher engages with the text, they can engage students in discussions around the characters, themes, and plots, thereby expanding their comprehension skills. Modeling strategies such as predicting, questioning, and summarizing during this session supports students in learning how to approach texts more effectively on their own. This interactive experience cultivates a love for reading, allows for emotional connections to be made with stories, and fosters a classroom environment where students feel comfortable discussing and exploring literature together. Such an approach is crucial in developing young readers into thoughtful and engaged learners.