One of my favorite things I've ever done in my classroom is participate in the Global Read Aloud.  It has been such an amazing way to engage my students and to help them develop a love of reading! 

The Global Read Aloud began a few years ago as a way to connect readers across the world.  Every October, classes read the same book and then connect with others around the world in a variety of ways.  There have been over 2 million kids that have participated in the GRA.  There are a variety of books chosen based on age level, and teachers can choose the best book to fit their classes from the list.

Not only have my students been introduced to amazing literature, they have responded to these books through writing, technology, and even art. I have even been able to meet ELA standards too!  In 2015, my students read A Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt.  I can't even begin to express how much my students (and I) LOVED A Fish in a Tree.  I feel every educator needs to read this book; it really helps you to understand how challenging school can be for a child with a learning disability.  I work with 3rd-5th graders and every one of them really connected with Ally, the main character in the book. 

My students have connected with students in many states, Canada, and Australia.  This year, I'm hoping we can connect with some classes on other continents too! 

Here are some of the activities we have done to go along with the books we read:

-Skype - My 3rd and 4th graders Skyped with a class in California; they talked about their favorite parts of the book, shared some of the illustrations they did (about the book), and even discussed what it was like to live in New York (and California).

-Twitter - We tweeted our thoughts about the books, shared some photographs of the activities we did in our classroom, and participated in slow chats.

-Padlet - What an awesome website (Padlet.com)!  I like to think of it as a discussion board with post-its.  I would often post a discussion question about the book and have my students respond using our iPads or class computer.  I then would post the link to the Padlet on Twitter for other classes to respond.  My students always loved seeing other kids respond to the same questions! 

-Postcard exchange - I signed my class up to exchange postcards with other classes.   Every time we received a new postcard, but students would be so excited!  It's a great way to learn about geography (we'd mark it on our world map) and addressing postcards.

-Blog on our class website - My students responded to reading comprehension questions on the class blog. They always found it more fun sharing their ideas on the blog than just writing their answers on paper! 


There are so many amazing things you can do this the Global Read Aloud.  You can participate as much as you want.  To find out more information about the GRA, check out this website --> https://theglobalreadaloud.com/


Have you ever participated in the GRA?  Tell about your experiences below!  Or, it you decide to participate, let me know if you'd like to connect!

by Lauren