Reading aloud in the early years helps develop a curiosity for books and supports children's listening and overall language development.
In the young learner classroom, it is usually the teacher who does the actual reading aloud, while children are encouraged to join in at predictable places. However, if you'd like to encourage your learners to start reading aloud in class (individual words or short phrases) and to make reading a sensory type of experience, you might find using a whisper phone particularly helpful.
Whisper phones are also known as phonics phones. Instead of reading out loud, learners read in a whisper voice. Children hold one end up to their ear and the other end to their mouth, and when they read (or speak) the sound is amplified. While learners are reading aloud, the teacher is able to monitor and identify common difficulties to focus on later.
A whisper phone is very easy to make. You just need to pick up some PVC piping at the local hardware store and decorate it with stickers or decorative tape.
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