As a teacher, I know that I am always in need of YouTube videos to put on as my students have snack, do indoor recess, or need some quiet time. In addition, I always recommend YouTube Read Aloud videos to my families because they’re an easy way to have access to stories read aloud in English (if you have access to a computer, smart phone, or library). These videos increase student exposure to literacy while keeping them engaged due to a different read aloud format (video versus person in front of them).
Considering this, I am listing five read aloud videos featuring multicultural books to check out:
1. I Am Rosa Parks, by Brad Meltzer
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tela42pi2uk
This is a book about Rosa Parks that is illustrated and includes the use of speech bubbles. It delves into the true history of Rosa Parks in an engaging way for students.
2. Thunder Boy, Jr., by Sherman Alexie
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNOREYTlH_U
The video reads aloud a story about a Native American boy searching for his name. It is a fun video with some sound effects in the beginning.
3. Chocolate Me!, by Taye Diggs
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xrqftmksOA
The book is about a little boy finding out that he needs to be happy with who he is. This video is really nice because it has the words reprinted on the screen and focuses in on important illustrations from the book
4. Niño Wrestles the World, by Yuyi Morales
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPmmh_h2c9U
This video is really cool because Yuyi Morales, the author, is reading aloud the book herself!! The books is about a little boy named Niño who wrestles several different people. It includes some Spanish throughout the book, which is a great glimpse into Niño’s culture.
5. Please, Baby, Please, by Spike Lee and Tonya Lewis Lee
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPadutB8o6Q
The book is about a caregiver talking to a baby and telling the baby what to do by saying, “ Please, Baby, Please”. This video has some nice sound effects to engage students more and reprints the text to help with literacy growth/shared reading.
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