Category: Learning to Read

How read-alouds transform ELs and struggling readers into eager learners

Posted on by StoryWorld

For many children who struggle with reading, decoding text can feel overwhelming. 

These student may encounter unfamiliar words, lose their place on the page, or focus so much energy on “sounding out” that they lose track of the story altogether. This creates a cycle of frustration and stress that can erode motivation and confidence. The worst outcome is that these students simply never become good readers.  

Over and over, I’ve seen how read-aloud supports—whether from a teacher, caregiver, or digital audio—can help break this cycle by giving students access to meaning first, before tackling the mechanics of decoding.

Read-Alouds Lower Stress and Increase Engagement
Research shows that when learners comprehend the gist of a text before attempting to decode it, their stress levels decrease and their engagement increases. According to groundbreaking research by Immordino-Yang (2016), when students feel emotionally safe and interested in the text, they are more likely to take risks and persist in challenging tasks. Similarly, research by Krashen (2004) on comprehensible input emphasizes that learners benefit most when they can understand material in context, which reduces anxiety and allows space for skill development.  For ELs and struggling readers, hearing a text read aloud provides this “meaning cushion” that lowers cognitive load so learning can begin.
Comprehension Creates Space for Decoding
By supporting comprehension in advance, read-alouds allow students to focus on decoding without the fear of “getting lost.” August and Shanahan (2006) highlight that comprehension scaffolds—such as listening before reading—enable multilingual and struggling learners to allocate more attention to word recognition and decoding skills. This mirrors Scarborough’s Rope model (2001), which illustrates how skilled reading is woven from both word recognition and language comprehension; strengthening one thread can give room for the other to develop.
Building Vocabulary and Background Knowledge

Read-alouds also build background knowledge and vocabulary, which are essential for reading growth. When students already understand a story, they can map the sounds of words onto known meanings more effectively (Nagy & Townsend, 2012). For example, a child who has listened to a story about a bear in the forest will have an easier time decoding and remembering the printed words bear and forest because they carry meaning the child already holds.

Practical classroom applications include pairing audio with printed text, conducting teacher-led story read-alouds before shared reading, and encouraging parents to read stories aloud at home—even in the family’s home language. These strategies help children approach decoding with confidence rather than dread. Teachers often find that once the pressure to “figure out everything at once” is removed, struggling readers show more willingness to engage in practice and improvement.

The Path to Joyful Reading

In short, read-aloud supports give ELs and struggling readers a head start by making meaning accessible first. Once they understand the story, they can focus on decoding without the paralyzing stress of confusion. 

As the research shows, lowering anxiety and supporting comprehension pave the way for stronger skill development and leads to joyful reading experiences that makes students come back for more!

📌 Teacher Tip: Allow students to listen to a story read aloud before asking students to read it again silently or in small groups. Once they know the storyline, struggling readers will be less anxious and more eager to practice decoding the words on their own.

Cynthia Harrison Barbera

Cynthia Harrison Barbera is President and CEO, StoryWorld International.  She served as VP Educational Technology for Scholastic and is the recipient of two US Presidential awards for educational programs. An Emmy-award winner for a television series on education, she has taught English to native-speakers and ELL students in the US and overseas.

References:

  • August, D., & Shanahan, T. (2006). Developing literacy in second-language learners: Report of the National Literacy Panel on Language-Minority Children and Youth. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
  • Immordino-Yang, M. H. (2016). Emotions, learning, and the brain: Exploring the educational implications of affective neuroscience. New York, NY: W. W. Norton.
  • Krashen, S. (2004). The power of reading: Insights from the research (2nd ed.). Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
  • Nagy, W., & Townsend, D. (2012). Words as tools: Learning academic vocabulary as language acquisition. Reading Research Quarterly, 47(1), 91–108.
  • Scarborough, H. S. (2001). Connecting early language and literacy to later reading (dis)abilities. In S. Neuman & D. Dickinson (Eds.), Handbook of Early Literacy Research (pp. 97–110). New York, NY: Guilford Press.
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Reading, the ultimate gift for life!

Posted on by StoryWorld
How reading changes our brain (for the good!)

I’m excited to share some remarkable recent research about the truly extraordinary power of reading on our brain.

It turns out that the simple act of reading literally changes our brain and makes it stronger! Reading isn’t just about gaining knowledge—it strengthens our memory, improves our thinking skills, and even builds empathy in ways that extend far beyond the story.

And what’s more, those positive changes can linger long after we close the book.

Reading Actually Rewires the Brain

Stories demand focus, memory, and inference-making. This activates multiple brain systems—language, attention, memory, and executive function (Wolf, 2007). Over time, the very process of reading results in a sharper mind, improved problem-solving capabilities, and a stronger capacity to learn and think.

One recent study found that reading a novel increased activity in the brain that was linked to comprehension and to the ability to understand different perspectives (Berns et al., 2013). These changes actually lingered days after the book was finished, showing that stories can leave a lasting “shadow of experience” in the brain, almost as if the readers had lived the experiences themselves.

Reading Stories Builds Empathy

This helps explain why reading develops empathy. Reading a story literally help us step into someone else’s shoes.

When we read, the brain activates the same regions we use to understand real people’s thoughts and emotions. Neuroscientist Raymond Mar (2011) has shown that engaging with narrative fiction consistently activates brain regions tied to social cognition and emotional understanding. In effect, reading becomes a kind of simulator for children for the real-life interactions they will have in their future. Reading helps them “rehearse” the skills of compassion, perspective-taking, and moral reasoning that will benefit them later.

Reading Also Strengthens Cognitive Muscles
Stories demand that readers hold characters, settings, and plots in working memory while making inferences about motives and outcomes. This process recruits multiple brain systems at once—including language, attention, memory, and executive function—making reading one of the most cognitively demanding (and therefore strengthening) activities we can do (Wolf, 2007; Immordino-Yang, 2016).
An Essential Foundation for Growth in Life

When we read deeply, we’re not only absorbing information—we are rewiring our brain’s networks for learning, social understanding, and even self-reflection. In children, this provides an essential foundation for literacy and social-emotional growth. 

So, when you encourage your students to read—even a simple story to start—you are helping them build new connections, strengthen the architecture of their brain, and deepen their ability to connect with others. In a very real way, you are helping to shape who they are and how they understand their world.

That is truly a gift for life!

Cynthia Harrison Barbera

Cynthia Harrison Barbera is President and CEO, StoryWorld International.  She served as VP Educational Technology for Scholastic and is the recipient of two US Presidential awards for educational programs. An Emmy-award winner for a television series on education, she has taught English to native-speakers and ELL students in the US and overseas.

References:

  • Berns, G. S., Blaine, K., Prietula, M. J., & Pye, B. E. (2013). Short- and long-term effects of a novel on connectivity in the brain. Brain Connectivity, 3(6), 590–600.
  • Immordino-Yang, M. H. (2016). Emotions, learning, and the brain: Exploring the educational implications of affective neuroscience. W. W. Norton & Company.
  • Mar, R. A. (2011). The neural bases of social cognition and story comprehension. Annual Review of Psychology, 62, 103–134.
  • Snow, C. E. (2002). Reading for understanding: Toward an R&D program in reading comprehension. RAND Corporation.
  • Speer, N. K., Reynolds, J. R., Swallow, K. M., & Zacks, J. M. (2009). Reading stories activates neural representations of visual and motor experiences. Psychological Science, 20(8), 989–999.
  • Wolf, M. (2007). Proust and the squid: The story and science of the reading brain. Harper.

Literacy Is More Than Reading

Posted on by StoryWorld

When we think of “reading”, we often picture a child reading a book. But is that being “literate?”

Several years ago, I had an interesting experience.  I met a teenage language learner who was eager to demonstrate her English skills. She proudly read — almost flawlessly — a section from Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I Have A Dream” speech. It was so well-read that I was flabbergasted by her linguistic proficiency.

When she was done (and after my generous compliments), I asked her for a glass of water.  She stared at me blankly. She had no idea what I was saying.

After a little more probing, I realized she could read the words, but with no understanding whatsoever.

Since then, I’ve discovered this to be true of many emerging readers, not just multilingual learners, but also native-English speakers as well. First and second graders often surprise me when they read aloud with apparent fluency. But when asked to explain what they read, it’s not unusual to see blank faces.

So, what’s going on?

Literacy Is More Than “Reading”

Literacy is not a single skill but a network of interrelated abilities. True literacy goes beyond decoding words in a book or filling out worksheets. To become confident, capable communicators, children must learn to listen, speak, write, and read.

The National Literacy Trust defines literacy as “the ability to read, write, speak and listen in a way that lets us communicate effectively and make sense of the world” (NLT, 2019).

Here is a summary of each modality and how each fits into a well-rounded approach to literacy instruction:

LISTENING is the foundational skill

Traditional literacy instruction often prioritizes reading and writing at the expense of the foundational importance of listening. Yet, active listening contributes strongly to phonological awareness, an essential early skill for decoding words. 

Listening also helps all learners — and especially MLLs — further develop a more intuitive grasp of both syntax and pronunciation.  

Children who are exposed to rich oral language environments develop a more robust vocabulary and better mastery of grammatical structures. Therefore, listening to spoken language supports reading and writing development. 

Listening also contributes to comprehension, making it easier for emerging readers to understand different texts as they progress toward reading fluency (Shanahan, 2023; Gough & Tunmer, 1986).

Why SPEAKING matters

When students (both MLLs and native-English speakers) discuss stories, ask questions, or retell events aloud, they are also learning to organize their thoughts, make inferences, and practice using more academic vocabulary. 

The vocabulary learned from texts is often absent in normal conversation and therefore needs to be learned through literature. 

Speaking activities, such as discussions and presentations, prompt learners to process and articulate their ideas, leading to deeper comprehension. In fact, speaking is so important, many researchers have concluded that oral language skills are strong predictors of reading comprehension, especially among pre-school children and multilingual learners (Snow, 2010).

WRITING is the key tool for comprehension

While writing is often viewed as a separate skill from reading, research supports the conclusion that writing directly enhances reading comprehension. 

Why? Writing practice helps learners internalize new vocabulary and concepts acquired through reading and listening, which in turn deepens comprehension and critical thinking. When children write about what they read, they process the content more deeply. 

The benefits of writing extend across all grade levels: students who write more, demonstrate improved recall and deeper understanding of content (Graham & Hebert 2011).

READING expands vocabulary and boosts critical thinking
The process of reading contributes significantly to vocabulary development, comprehension, and most importantly, critical thinking. Exposure to a wide variety of written texts allows learners to see different grammatical and sentence structures in action, which further reinforces their understanding of language and expands their ability to use it well  (Nagy & Anderson 1984).
ALL MODALITIES are interconnected

To be truly “literate” all modalities need development.  It makes sense that strengthening one modality also strengthens the others. This interconnectedness suggests that an effective literacy program needs to incorporate all modalities — not reading alone — to maximize literacy and the subsequent learning outcomes.

Helpful strategies for multimodal instruction:
  • Use multimedia resources (audiobooks, podcasts) to build listening skills and expose learners to diverse linguistic inputs;
  • Incorporate read-aloud sessions followed by discussions to improve listening comprehension and speaking skills;
  • Include writing reflections on texts to deepen reading comprehension and analytical thinking;
  • Use paired reading and peer discussions to strengthen speaking and listening skills as well as recall.

By embracing a multimodal approach that includes listening, speaking, writing as well as reading, educators can foster deeper comprehension, stronger communication skills, and build a more enduring foundation in literacy that will serve all learners for the rest of their lives. 

Cynthia Harrison Barbera

Cynthia Harrison Barbera is President and CEO, StoryWorld International.  She served as VP Educational Technology for Scholastic and is the recipient of two US Presidential awards for educational programs. An Emmy-award winner for a television series on education, she has taught English to native-speakers and ELL students in the US and overseas.

References:

Castles, Rastle, & Nation (2018); Duke & Pearson (2002); Fitzgerald & Shanahan (2000); Graham & Hebert (2011); Nagy & Anderson (1984); Scarborough (2001); Snow (2010); Stanovich (1986)