Think Aloud
Definition:
"The think-aloud strategy asks students to say out loud what they are thinking about when reading, solving math problems, or simply responding to questions posed by teachers or other students. Effective teachers think out loud on a regular basis to model this process for students. In this way, they demonstrate practical ways of approaching difficult problems while bringing to the surface the complex thinking processes that underlie reading comprehension, mathematical problem solving, and other cognitively demanding tasks," ("Think Aloud Strategy," 2014).
The Steps to Implement Think-Alouds:
"The think-aloud strategy asks students to say out loud what they are thinking about when reading, solving math problems, or simply responding to questions posed by teachers or other students. Effective teachers think out loud on a regular basis to model this process for students. In this way, they demonstrate practical ways of approaching difficult problems while bringing to the surface the complex thinking processes that underlie reading comprehension, mathematical problem solving, and other cognitively demanding tasks," ("Think Aloud Strategy," 2014).
The Steps to Implement Think-Alouds:
- Teacher should model this strategy often. It gives the students an idea of the thought process while reading.
- Assign text to read.
- Create some questions for students to answer while reading.
- Read the passage to the class as the students follow along in their books.
- Periodically, stop to answer some of the questions aloud.
- After the teacher has modeled answering the questions, allow the students to answer the questions ("Think-alouds," 2014).
Benefits of this Strategy:
- Builds comprehension.
- Slows down the process of reading to allow students time to understand material.
- Gives a good example of what thought process should be during reading, ("Think-alouds," 2014).
Video 1: This video is an example of a teacher doing a think aloud activity in a fourth grade classroom. The video starts out by briefly explaining what a think aloud is and what the purpose of the strategy is. Then, the teacher models how to think aloud to her students. She starts out by thinking about the prior knowledge she will need to read the text. Then, she starts to read the text, and stops periodically to ask and answer questions about the text. At the end of the reading, she connects the reading to a real life situation. After she models the think aloud, she gives the students the opportunity to put this strategy to work themselves.
Video 2: In this video, a student and a teacher model the think aloud strategy. The student starts by reading a passage out of a book. After the student finishes a page, the teacher stops the reading and asks the student questions over the passage just read. They discuss a word the student didn't know the meaning of by rereading the sentence it was in. The teacher also relates the text to a similar real world situation that he experienced. After the discussions, the student reads another page of the book. The teacher stops the student again to help the student visualize what he just read. The teacher uses these discussions to assess whether or not the student comprehended the material.
Writing Component:
Come up with some questions to guide the students through the think aloud strategy. After the students have discussed these questions, have them write a detailed answer to them using the text and the discussion. These questions can be handed in to assess whether or not the students comprehended the material.
Writing Standards Addressed:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.W.1
Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.W.9
Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
Sources:
Think-alouds. (2014). In Reading Rockets. Retrieved July 15, 2014, from
http://www.readingrockets.org/strategies/think_alouds.
Think Aloud Strategy. (2014). In Teacher Vision. Retrieved July 15, 2014, from
https://www.teachervision.com/skill-builder/problem-solving/48546.html?page=1.
Come up with some questions to guide the students through the think aloud strategy. After the students have discussed these questions, have them write a detailed answer to them using the text and the discussion. These questions can be handed in to assess whether or not the students comprehended the material.
Writing Standards Addressed:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.W.1
Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.W.9
Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
Sources:
Think-alouds. (2014). In Reading Rockets. Retrieved July 15, 2014, from
http://www.readingrockets.org/strategies/think_alouds.
Think Aloud Strategy. (2014). In Teacher Vision. Retrieved July 15, 2014, from
https://www.teachervision.com/skill-builder/problem-solving/48546.html?page=1.