Teacher Modeling in Action

Think Alouds
Doing think alouds is a way for teachers to make their thinking “visible” to students. The teacher models the skill or strategy by verbalizing their thinking at each step. Posing questions and ideas along the way to get students to think about their ideas is another piece of think alouds. Think alouds are an effective way to model thinking skills for students so they can “see” what goes on in the teacher’s mind as they are listening to a story, learning a new skill, or developing understanding of a new concept.

Think Aloud Example:

Teacher: As I read this story about immigrants coming over to America I can’t believe what they had to go through on the ships. I would be so scared to leave my family and home. I think you have to be really brave to do that. I would also be excited about coming to a New World and seeing a new place. I predict that the little boy in this story will make it to America and meet his uncle. I think he will like it once he gets there. When I write in my journal today, I am going to write about the rats and how we have to eat stale bread and water while on the ship. Yeah. I’m also going to write about how I miss my family so much and how it’s been hard to sleep with the ship rocking back and forth. I wonder if I will make it to America? I know some ships never do. (The teacher could actually write this while thinking aloud on a piece of chart paper for students to follow along.)

Teacher directions to the students: After modeling has occurred, have students ask questions and give their ideas. Give clear directions for the reading and journal writing, check for understanding by having one or two students restate the directions in their own words, and then set students out to work independently.

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