Read Aloud

By: Carmen Willings
teachingvisuallyimpaired.com
Updated February 14, 2025

Reading aloud to students of all ages, including those with visual impairments, is a critical teaching practice that fosters literacy development, concept building, and engagement. Below is an organized explanation of key considerations, strategies, and benefits for implementing reading aloud effectively for students who are blind or visually impaired.

​Why Reading Aloud is Crucial

• Language and Literacy Development. Hearing stories read aloud strengthens vocabulary and comprehension skills. It connects spoken language to print or braille, reinforcing literacy concepts.
• Concept and Vocabulary Building. Explaining unfamiliar words and introducing related concepts helps students contextualize and remember new vocabulary.
• Engagement and Motivation. Reading with expression and intonation creates an enjoyable and stimulating experience. Encourages a love for reading and learning across a variety of genres.
• Learning “Book Behavior”. Exposes students to basic reading conventions like turning pages, reading left-to-right and top-to-bottom, and recognizing the structure of books.
• Inclusion and Accessibility. Ensures that students who are braille learners or who use audio formats have equitable exposure to books and stories.

​Preparation Before Reading

• Select Appropriate Books. Choose books with engaging content, clear language, and concepts relevant to the student’s interests or current learning topics.
• Provide a Summary. Summarize the story beforehand to give students an overview.
• Introduce Vocabulary. Explain any unfamiliar words, using examples or related objects to aid comprehension.
• Set a Purpose. Explain why the book is being read (e.g., learning about a topic, exploring a particular style, etc.).
• Incorporate Tactile Materials. Present objects from the story to provide hands-on exploration. For example, if the story mentions a ball, let the student hold and feel a ball.

While Reading

• Use Expressive Reading. Read with inflection, intonation, and dramatic pauses to capture attention and convey emotions.
• Describe Pictures. For low-vision or blind students, describe the images in the book to help them visualize and connect with the content.
• Reinforce Vocabulary. Point to or reference key words, connecting print, braille, or spoken words.
• Encourage Participation. Ask questions like, "What do you think will happen next?" or let students finish predictable sentences.
• Promote Book Behavior. Show students how to hold the book, turn pages, and read from top to bottom or left to right.

​After Reading

• Review the Story. Ask students to answer literal questions about the story, updating their answers as needed.
• Act Out the Story. Encourage role-playing or acting out parts of the story to reinforce understanding and make connections to real-life experiences.
• Link to Previous Experiences. Discuss connections between the story and personal experiences or upcoming activities.
• Extend to Successive Readings. For longer books, read over multiple sessions, maintaining continuity and enthusiasm.

Additional Activities for Enhanced Learning

• Story Helpers. Have a student assist in holding the book or turning pages to encourage active participation.
• Explore Physical Characteristics of Books. Talk about the size, weight, thickness, and binding of the book to build concepts of object characteristics.
• Fingerplays and Rhymes. Incorporate songs or fingerplays like "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" with hand-under-hand guidance to engage tactile learners.

​Reading aloud is a cornerstone of literacy instruction for students with visual impairments. Through careful preparation, expressive reading, and engaging follow-up activities, teachers can ensure that all students benefit from the joy of storytelling, gain exposure to new concepts, and develop essential literacy and comprehension skills. Reading aloud goes beyond words—it builds connections, fosters creativity, and empowers students to explore the world through stories.

Instructional Resource

Rogow, Sally. Language, Literacy and Children with Special Needs. Pippin Publishing, 1997. This book focuses on the importance of supporting students with special needs so they can participate and be integrated into the educational mainstream. Rogow outlines a variety of approaches that will help teachers ensure that learning happens for everyone.

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"All individuals, regardless of their abilities or disabilities, have the right to an opportunity to learn to read and write in order to increase and enhance their educational opportunities, vocational success, communicative competence, self-empowerment capabilities, and independence." ​- Center for Literacy and Disability Studies