Charlotte's Web: The Gift of Reading Aloud

When I first started working in the school that would change my life, I started as the Program Director. I was responsible for the after-school program, the college interns, test preparation - the list went on and on. I was also tasked with being the 'coverage' for a 1st grade teacher for her 'prep' period. I asked her if there was anything she wanted me to do with the students. We were about the same age, but she had been teaching for several years so I assumed she'd have a plan.

Her suggestion?

A read-aloud.

That's it?

Yup.

I wasn't sure that would be enough. But guess what?

It was.

The kids loved it. It was after lunch and recess and they looked forward to it every day. After running around at recess, they would lie on the carpet, still catching their breath, and just listen. We read Charlotte's Web, James and the Giant Peach, Stuart Little, and The Cricket in Times Square. Most of them took place in NYC, but a NYC that was foreign to them, growing up in Harlem. We learned new vocabulary words, harder words than a first grader would know. But that was the beauty of reading aloud. I wasn't asking them to read those words. I was simply giving them the opportunity to hear them, understand them, and add them to their worlds.

In James and the Giant Peach, I remember teaching them words like gigantic, enormous, and colossal. Their teacher would show me some of their journal work and some of them had sounded out the words they had heard during read aloud. What an impact a simple read aloud had for them.

That classroom stayed with me. So when I became a mother, I knew exactly where I wanted to start reading to my own children. I think I had read Charlotte's Web on my own when I was a child. I do remember talking to my mom about it, especially the characters, like Fern and the little Wilbur whom she would feed with a bottle and push in a stroller.

If I were just beginning my read-aloud journey with my children, one of the first books I would read is Charlotte's Web by E.B. White. At 4 or 5 they can probably listen for about 4-5 pages, usually the length of a chapter. And there are some beautiful illustrations to go along with the story to keep them interested.

But more importantly, it is a wonderful story.

The characters are fun and unique, and despite their differences, they are considerate and kind to one another. It is a story about friendship, loyalty, courage, and the ways we care for one another.

And then there is the vocabulary.

Radiant. Terrific. Humble.

My favorite character is Templeton the rat. While he does have all the qualities that you think of when you think of a rat; greedy, selfish, and always looking out for himself. Every once in a while you can see a little bit of his heart underneath his ever-growing exterior.

And, then there is the movie.

In our house, one of our reading rules is you have to read the book first before you watch the movie. In our experience, the book is always better. There are some movies that we watched not knowing there was a book first, so we went backwards on those.

I knew there was a movie of Charlotte's Web – there have actually been two. I am old so the one I prefer is the one with Debbie Reynolds as Charlotte and Paul Lynde as Templeton. Classic. The later one starred Julia Roberts as Charlotte. Both are enjoyable, but the original one will always be my favorite.

The Charlotte's Web movie stayed remarkably true to the book, which makes it a perfect one to watch together after you finish reading.

Read the book first.

Let your child fall in love with life on the farm, Fern, Wilbur, Charlotte and even Templeton.

Then, when you turn on the movie, watch what happens.

They already know the story.

They already know the characters.

And now they get to see the world they created in their imagination come to life.

That is one of the little gifts of reading aloud.