Using Think-Alouds

The purpose of a think-aloud is to capture the student's thinking about the text during the reading process. The teacher selects a piece of text to model the strategy to the students. While reading the text aloud, the teacher asks herself questions such as, "Why did this author say that? Maybe if I keep reading I will find out." Below are web sites that show this strategy in action.

Below we have provided recommended resources that describe think-aloud strategies.

Sites That Matter

Think Alouds
This site provides specific steps for conducting think-alouds for difficult readings.
literacy.kent.edu/eureka/strategies/think_aloud.pdf

Navigating Meaning: Using Think-Alouds to Help Readers Monitor Comprehension
This site provides guidance on conducting teacher-led and student-led think-alouds.
writingproject.org/pub/nwpr/improvingcomprehension/
2001/wilhem.html

Reading Assessment: An Example of a Think-Aloud
The Wisconsin Literacy Education and Reading Network has provided a useful example for conducting a think-aloud with a science-related passage.
wilearns.state.wi.us/apps/default.asp?cid=320
or download the MS Word doc

Math Think Alouds
This site provides a sample procedure for using think-alouds to solve math problems.
www.lessonplanspage.com/MathNumReasoning
ProbSolvingThinkAlouds69.htm