Does anyone else hear Mary Steenburgen's voice when you read that title??
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| Because I will never NOT hear her voice when I read that line from Strega Nona. |
I teach kindergarten and get the absolute pleasure of teaching my students not only how to read, but also the love of reading and enjoying literacy. I'm talking about kids being actively engaged during independent reading time, read-alouds and the morning message every day. I have students who choose the classroom library as a center during their free choice time and devour book after book from their own personal bin and from the ones on the shelves. These young readers LOVE books and are excited about reading.
It's contagious :)
In a world of booming technology, my kids are also screen masters. They have mastered anything electronic in our classroom and the library. They come to school with gadgets for show and tell and stories of iPad apps and video games. I am so glad that they are still able to appreciate a good old fashioned picture book, amidst the kindles, smart TVs and everything in between. 
Now back to Mary Steenburgen...
is this ringing a bell yet?
No? I'm talking about Storyline Online.
It's a website run through the non-profit SAG-AFTRA Foundation that is accessed by roughly 1 million views every year. Storyline Online beautifully streams videos of actors reading familiar and new children's books. Not only do the actors do an incredible job voice acting the story, some of the actual illustrations move around, which adds for some excitement.
This website is an incredible resource for anyone who would enjoy hearing a children's book read aloud to them, but especially for teachers. This literacy based website is so useful in the classroom. My students consider Storyline Online a treat - no matter how many times they've heard the same story or when it's not their turn to choose a book.
Benefits:
- Listening to a story read aloud
- Perfect way to give students a chance to decompress and just listen
- Having some of the same books in our classroom library is thrilling for young students (I can't keep Library Lion or Enemy Pie on the shelves!)
- ^^ This also helps build confidence! They know the story so it makes reading a picture book to themselves much easier and builds strong reading muscles!
-Stories are a variety of lengths = good quick time filler!
- Kids LOVE IT
- Teachers LOVE IT (seriously - it's won awards!)
- Some technology exposure, for the tech lovers
If you've never tried it, give it a chance. Kids love that they are watching a story in action and the website does a beautiful job showing off the actors talents ("They changed their voice!" my kids would tell me every time after they learned in readers workshop you can do that!) and the writing and illustrations.
I love storyline online too (and Strega Nona)! My group was just talking about this in a discussion. There is something so fun about hearing these actors tell these stories and bring these books to life in a way that I don’t think I could by reading it aloud myself. I mean they are actors after all! I asked my group this, but I will pose the question here, do you think that the way in which a story is read aloud can increase comprehension and meaning making for students? Does making a silly voice or using an accent for a character help to create better understanding?
ReplyDeleteSounds like you've achieved a nice balance of literacies in your kindergarten class. How wonderful for you to see our youngest students so engaged with the classroom library. I want to thank you for sharing this website. I was not familiar with it before today. That has been one of the best things about returning to graduate school after being in the classroom for many years, it really allows you to catch up on what's current and new. I think readalouds are a fantastic tool, and to answer Deanna's question, I think there's no doubt that dramatic expression helps students understand better. For struggling readers especially, listening to someone read with appropriate rate and expression, allows them as learners to think more clearly since someone is doing the heavy lifting of the decoding for them.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE Storytime Online and so do my students. It is a great model for students on noticing how a character is feeling and using a voice that represents that. I love when my students are reading a book for the first time and then notice that the character is mad and go back and read what they say again with an angry voice. By doing this, the students are engaging with the text and thinking about the characters and what is happening in the story. When we are reading a story, I often encourage my students to act out parts of the story. We have been reading Junie B. Jones and I often make faces or do what Junie B. does in the story. My students have also begun doing it and it shows me that they are picturing the story in their heads. My kids love when sassy Junie B. sticks her tongue out or scrunches her eyebrows when she doesn't understand something. It also gives us great conversations about how body language contributes to understanding about a character or person's feelings. I don't remember watching Strega Nona on Storytime Online, but it gives me a great idea for today!
ReplyDeleteAs soon as I read the title to your blog post, I had an inkling that Storyline Online would be discussed (Mary Steenburgen singing that song is catchier than most songs on the radio!) Before learning about Storyline Online, I walked into a classroom as a substitute that had a certain time for this activity included in the lesson plans. I was extremely impressed by the resource, and slightly envious I didn't get to enjoy this as a child! As an intern, it is definitely a go-to for me when I need a time filler because of the amazing benefits you listed in your post!
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I honestly could hear Mary Steenburgen's voice in my head from just reading the title! I absolutely love Storyline Online. During student teaching, I often played stories during snack time or at the end of the day once students were packed up and waiting for dismissal. The resource is a combination of old and new literacies, and really seems to engage students. It is also a great way to sneak in a little extra educational content throughout the day!
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I’m happy to hear that students still have the interest and love for reading paperback books when many of them have become so accustomed to books online. I have never used Storyline Online but it sounds like a great resource that I could use in my future classroom. Story telling is so important when reading to young students and Professor Murray at Sacred Heart has dedicated a whole class to the importance of children’s literature and changing your voice while reading. If you have not gotten the chance and need an elective, I would highly recommend his class and would love to hear his thoughts about Storyline Online.
ReplyDeleteStoryline Online is wonderful. The students that I had always requested it. I love the blending of the two literacies.
ReplyDeleteI love using Storyline Online in the classroom! Students, of all ages, will beg for it! I usually will put it on during snack time or dismissal time. The students are so engaged! I love how it incorporates sound, text, and visuals. It really brings a story to life! Great post!
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun website! I have seen it before but I have never used it. You have made so many great points about it I will definitely use it in the classroom. I love websites like book flixs that allows the students to read and see the book in action. A website that has real actors and ones the students may know will make the book more enjoyable and engaging. Thanks for the tip!
ReplyDeleteI had never heard of Storytime Online prior to reading your post, but after checking out I know I will use this in my classroom one day! It really is the best of both worlds as it combines modern technology with literary classics. This certainly has the capability to build skills and confidence in young readers, and it is an added bonus that students see this as a reward!
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love Storyline Online! I usually put this on during their snack time, it keeps the students interested yet quiet during this time. I love how they make still pictures into moving images, while someone is reading it to them. They have SO many books to choose from with a ton of amazing great actors and actresses!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for this resource! It's so awesome and I can completely see the benefits of using. I can tell that using it in the classroom would be so exciting to the students because even if they have heard the story before, it is always exciting to be able to hear it from someone new. PLus the stories I was looking at had someone who was reading it in different voices which makes it more exciting.
ReplyDeleteThat’s great to see how much your students love reading! The teacher I am paired with in third grade absolutely loves reading as well so her students love it as much too. It’s so amazing to see our love for something impact our students love for something as well. Reading is so important for our students so as teachers he should always strive to pushing them to read as much as they can.
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