“There is just not enough time in the day!” Sound familiar? Educators are always searching for ways to make the most of their instructional minutes. With the demands of various priorities, teaching multiple subjects, skills, and competencies along with packed schedules, the most effective approach is often integration…but, how can educators actually weave literacy into content area instruction like science and social studies so that students build knowledge, language, and comprehension together?

As Ann McCarty Perez reminds us in her chapter Cross-Disciplinary Integration: More Brains are Better Than One from the book Fearless Instruction by Creative Leadership Solutions:

“Cross disciplinary teaching provides opportunities for students as they experience how content can be connected, resulting in making deeper meaning of learning. When teachers intentionally connect the curriculum for students, they can activate multiple parts of the brain making learning more meaningful. When students make meaning of the content, they can move beyond surface learning to deep and transfer learning” (p. 111).

And as Michelle Picard reminds us in her chapter Literacy: A Team Sport from the same book:

“Making meaning, developing fluency, acquiring vocabulary, and comprehending language draw from both learning to read and reading to learn skills. Both are necessary for our students to become proficient readers” (p. 97).

After all, literacy is the foundation of all learning. When students strengthen vocabulary, comprehension, and oral language, they unlock access to every other content area. According to Daniel Willingham (2016), “Many of the cognitive skills we want our students to develop—especially reading with understanding and successfully analyzing problems—are intimately intertwined with knowledge of content. When students learn facts they are not just acquiring grist for the mill—they are enabling the mill to operate more effectively.” This is why weaving literacy into content-area instruction is not an add-on, but a pathway to deeper comprehension and critical thinking.

But this raises a natural question: Does it mean that teachers cannot just enjoy the magic of a read aloud with students without having to plan every step? Of course, there is space for that. I believe classrooms need those moments where everyone gets lost in a great story. Yet, when the goal is to intentionally build language, vocabulary, and comprehension, especially across disciplines, the Interactive Read Aloud (IRA) offers a more deliberate way to design those transactions with text.

That’s why an Interactive Read Aloud Planning Template was created…a purposeful planning tool that helps teachers plan meaningful literacy experiences while weaving in science and social studies content. Grounded in the framework of text selection, pre-reading, during-reading, and post-reading, the template allows teachers to go deeper into each step, ensuring students aren’t just hearing a story, they are making meaning from it.

What is an Interactive Read Aloud?

An interactive read aloud is a shared experience where the teacher reads a high-quality text aloud while students actively engage through questioning, conversation, and reflection. It goes beyond simply reading with expression, it’s a structured way to:

• Model fluent reading and expressive language
  
• Build vocabulary and oral language
  
• Develop comprehension strategies in real time
  
• Create space for student talk, predictions, and critical thinking
  
• Connect literacy with content knowledge across disciplines
  

When interactive read alouds are carefully planned, they become more than a story, they become an entry point into deeper learning.

How does this connect to the Simple View of Reading?

The Simple View of Reading, first introduced by Philip Gough and William Tunmer in the 1980s, reminds us that reading comprehension depends on both decoding and language comprehension. The Simple View of Reading explains that reading comprehension comes from two major components: word recognition (the ability to decode and read words accurately and fluently) and language comprehension (the ability to make sense of the words and ideas in a text). Learn more about it from The Reading League HERE. In simple terms:

• Word recognition = learning to read
  
• Language comprehension = reading to learn
  

Interactive read alouds fall under language comprehension. During an IRA, the teacher is doing the decoding work aloud, which frees students to focus on meaning-making: developing vocabulary, listening comprehension, oral language, background knowledge, and reasoning. These are the very skills that support long-term reading comprehension.

As Michelle Picard writes in Fearless Instruction:

“Because language comprehension is influenced by background knowledge, language development, vocabulary, and reasoning, all content and elective teachers need to spend time incorporating literacy strategies so that students can fully engage with the material in their classes.”

Interactive read alouds are one of the most powerful ways elementary educators can contribute to building those foundations.

Why does this process matter?

Without a clear plan, it’s easy for a read aloud to become surface-level entertainment. But when teachers follow a well thought out, purposeful plan, they ensure that each step has purpose:

• Book selection ties directly to high-priority ELA and content-area standards. We’re grateful to Bookelicious, who help curate high-quality interdisciplinary text sets aligned with grade-level curriculum. Their collections provide teachers with engaging, high-interest books for learners that naturally connect literacy with science and social studies content.
  
• Pre-reading reduces cognitive overload by previewing vocabulary and activating knowledge.
  
• During reading builds engagement with intentional pauses and open-ended questions that are tied to the priority standards being addressed.
  
• Post-reading helps students make sense of their learning, apply their understanding, and connect learning to their lives.
  

In other words, this process turns a single story into a powerful interdisciplinary lesson that uses time in purposeful ways and deepens impact.

As Timothy Shanahan reminds us in his blog on comprehension instruction:

“For me, teaching reading comprehension means improving students’ abilities to read other texts – on their own – with greater understanding. If the teacher’s action won’t contribute to making kids better comprehenders, then it isn’t comprehension instruction.”

That’s exactly the purpose of using the Interactive Read Aloud Template. Each element from selecting the right text, to frontloading vocabulary, to scripting open-ended questions is designed not just to help students understand this book today, but to prepare them to comprehend future texts with greater independence.

By planning interactive read alouds with intentionality, teachers do something about that. They build the basic literacy skills, content knowledge, and exposure to informational texts that smooth the path to disciplinary literacy in later grades.

How do you use the template?

The template provides a step-by-step process teachers can adapt for any text. Below, you’ll see the template prompts on the left and a completed example from a third grade informational text, Blizzards by Marcia Abramson, on the right.

It’s important to keep in mind that the template is flexible. It can be used for whole-class instruction, small groups, or even personalized student work. While Blizzards is shown here as an example, the process works with any high-quality text, regardless of genre. This is not designed as a one-day lesson. Instead, an interactive read-aloud built from the template should extend over a week or two, especially as you incorporate multiple books on the same topic (text sets). This approach allows comprehension to deepen and build over time, depending on your classroom needs and the structure of your literacy block.

Step 1: Book Selection

Template Prompt

Example from Blizzards

• Identify the title and author • Name the ELA standard(s) • Select science/social studies standards • Note interdisciplinary connections • Identify the Big Six Skills and Competencies • Define the comprehension focus • Questions to consider: Is it grade-appropriate, engaging, relevant?

Book Title: Blizzards by Marcia Abramson ELA Standard: 3RI2 – Determine the main idea; recount key details Science Standard: 3.ESS3.1 – Use evidence to support the idea that climate affects how people live Social Studies Standard: 3.1b – Geographic factors influence how people live, work, and interact with the environment Connections: Weather safety, environmental impact, geography, climate zones Big Six Skills and Competencies Addressed: comprehension, vocabulary, oral language Comprehension Focus: Identifying main ideas, using details, understanding cause & effect

Step 2: Pre-Reading (Activate Prior Knowledge)

Template Prompt	Example from Blizzards
• How will you introduce the book? • What background knowledge will you activate? • Which vocabulary words will you frontload? • Questions to consider: How will you build curiosity? Which words are essential for access?	Intro Questions: “What do you know about blizzards?” “Have you ever experienced extreme cold?” “What do you think this book will teach us?” Vocabulary to Preview: accumulate, forecast, survival (Click HERE for a vocabulary guide/routine) Background Knowledge: cold fronts, snowstorms, seasonal changes, local emergency procedures, safety clothing

CLICK HERE to access a Frontloading Vocabulary Guide

Step 3: During Reading

Template Prompt

Example from Blizzards

• Identify key stopping points • Plan expressive strategies (tone, pacing, emphasis) • Questions to consider: Where will I pause to highlight vocabulary, model thinking, or invite discussion?

Stopping Points:– Pages 2–3: “What is the main idea of this section? What details support it?”– Pages 4–5: “How do these details help explain what blizzards are and how they form?”– Pages 8–9: “What is the main point of this section on safety tips?”– Pages 10–11: “How do these stories of famous blizzards help us understand the dangers of extreme cold?” Expressive Reading Strategies: slow down during fact-heavy sections, emphasize danger words like frostbite or emergency, shift tone to highlight cause-and-effect

Step 4: Interactive Questions During Reading

Template Prompt	Example from Blizzards
• Draft open-ended questions • Plan for turn & talk opportunities • Add prediction questions • Questions to consider: Which prompts will push deeper thinking and comprehension?	Open-Ended: “Why do you think the author included this detail?” Turn & Talk: “What is the most important fact you’ve learned so far?”

Step 5: Post-Reading Discussion

Template Prompt	Example from Blizzards
• Summarize comprehension questions • Plan reflection prompts • Connect to students’ own experiences • Questions to consider: How can I help students transfer learning to new contexts?	Comprehension: “What is the main idea of this book? What three details support it?” Reflection: “What did you learn about how people respond to extreme cold?” Connection: “Have you ever had a snow day or experienced heavy snow? What’s one thing you’ll do differently next time it’s really cold?”

Moving Forward

At its heart, the Interactive Read Aloud Planning Template was designed for one reason: to help teachers make the most of their time by anchoring literacy in the foundation of all learning. When teachers use it, they aren’t just reading books aloud, they are building language, strengthening comprehension, and deepening content understanding all at once.

Because when we integrate literacy with content, we don’t just teach stories, we teach students how to make meaning across disciplines. And when meaning comes alive, so do our learners.

That’s why we return to this simple formula again and again: select, preview, pause, question, and reflect. It’s a cycle worth repeating because when we plan with purpose, we give students the gift of language and knowledge while making the most of those precious instructional minutes.

And when we connect ideas across disciplines, we’re not just teaching subjects, we’re building pathways to meaning that carry learners forward.

References

McCarty Perez, A. (2024). Cross-Disciplinary Integration: More Brains are Better Than One. In Fearless Instruction (p. 111). Creative Leadership Solutions.

Picard, M. (2024). Literacy: A Team Sport. In Fearless Instruction (p. 97). Creative Leadership Solutions.

Shanahan, T. (2022). Are We Teaching Reading Comprehension? Part I. Shanahan on Literacy. Retrieved from https://www.shanahanonliteracy.com/blog/are-we-teaching-reading-comprehension-part-i

The Reading League. (2022). The Science of Reading: Defining Guide. Retrieved from https://www.thereadingleague.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Science_of_Reading_Defining_Guide_eBook.pdf

New York State Education Department. (n.d.). Science of Reading: The Elementary Years (Brief 5). Retrieved from https://www.nysed.gov/sites/default/files/programs/standards-instruction/literacy-brief-5.pdf

Willingham, D. T. (2016). Knowledge and Practice: The Real Keys to Critical Thinking. Knowledge Matters Campaign, Issue Brief #1. Retrieved from https://knowledgematterscampaign.org