Global Read Aloud for the Win

By: Mary Kienstra on: December 3, 2016  in: #tlap, Engagement, reading

I have to thank Pernille Ripp and the Global Read Aloud crew for the inspiration!  One of the picks for this year was  The BFG, one of our curricular novels.  That was a perfect fit!  Find out more about The Global Read Aloud here.  It’s fabulous!

My students and I embarked on our read aloud adventure along with readers from around the world.  Our reading was highlighted by the shared experience of sitting together to experience this fun novel.  (If you haven’t read a novel aloud to older kids, try it – they really enjoy it!)  We laughed at the BFG’s language and marveled at Sophie’s bravery.  We held our collective breaths while the giants were …. (spoiler alert).

During this time, we met new friends in Kingston, Ontario, via video chat to discuss the book.  Our first meeting was a “mystery skype” where our students had to figure out where the other class was located.  My favorite clue that both classes used was “our baseball team is in the playoffs!”  (Cubs and Bluejays)  From there we “met” to discuss our favorite parts of the book and to ask each other questions.  My students realized they were not on this journey alone – even kids in Canada were enjoying this book too.  We were knocking down those classroom walls.

When we finished reading, my students created the questions for a “Kahoot” to share with our new friends in Canada.

Students created Dream Jars to share their own dreams for themselves or the world.  Their dreams included everything from eating hundreds of Oreos to a world of Peace.

The final activity was a Breakout using the game created for the Global Read Aloud. (See my post about this.)

The BFG is a great novel for 4th and 5th graders! Adding so many interactive activities through The Global Read Aloud made it even more engaging for these students.  I can’t wait to see what we’ll do next year!