I came across a website this week that talked about the term "dialogic reading." Although I was not familiar with that exact term, I quickly recognized what it was, based on additional reading. I remember in college we would practice read alouds and how to engage the students. This was easy with books like, "Pete the Cat" where students could recite parts back individually or as a whole group. One of my professors required us to ask a specific amount of comprehension questions that ranged from surface level to critical thinking questions. All of these memories came rushing back as I began to read more about dialogic reading.
The website described dialogic reading as an interactive technique that actively engages the readers to listen carefully. By using this process, students can grow upon their language, listening, and comprehension skills. The website included example videos with a more in-depth description of dialogic reading and a program called Reading Rockets. There was a professional development resource about how using feedback can foster discussion. Two research sections were also included. What I found interesting was a chart at the bottom that pulled out all of the factors supported in the following categories: language and literacy, cognition, social and emotional learning, and student background. I included a screenshot of the chart below. Under each category is a list of specific skills that fall within that topic. On the website, you can click on each one and it provides more information.
All of this information was interesting and insightful, but when I read about something, I like to
know how to put it into use. The website talked about a resource called Toontastic. This storytelling app allows users to practice using dialogic reading while sharing their own stories. Toontastic has a lot of great features such as creating your own characters, drawing out a story plot, adding character animations and audio, inserting music, and exporting to your photo library to share. One aspect I found unique is that you can upload your own images to the characters, so they can have your face on it. Here is a link to a quick overview of Toontastic.
As ELs are practicing their language skills, digital storytelling is one way to increase vocabulary, grammar, and comprehension. By using dialogic reading, the creator can practice engaging their reading by asking questions or expanding upon a point in their story. As a viewer, students can practice answering the questions posed by the narrator and enjoy a story created by their classmates. Toontastic would be a great resource to use with any type of writing, but some of the backgrounds would lend itself to creative writing or narrative writing. When students are creating their own Toontastic digital story, they can work on the whole writing process as it is laid out by the app.
Sources:
Dialogic Reading. Learner Variability Project. (n.d.). https://lvp.digitalpromiseglobal.org/content-area/reading-pk-3/strategies/dialogic-reading-pk-3/summary.
Google. (2017). Toontastic. https://toontastic.withgoogle.com/.