Something that is often overlooked in classrooms after kindergarten and first grade is the read aloud.  I have found that the read aloud is an important, vital part of the day.  It serves so many purposes.  As I am reading aloud, I'm modeling how to read fluently with expression.  Modeling how I interact with the text help students learn how to do it themselves.  Since I'm the one reading, I can stop at any point and invite the children to interact with the text.  Sometimes I use picture books and sometimes we delve into a good chapter book.  When reading, pause and ask students to predict what they believe is going to happen.  Ask a lot of why questions.  You will find your students involved in some enlightening discussions.

Your choice of books depends on your students, your reading purpose, and you.  I would never read a book to my students that I don't like.  They will pick up on that.  Sometimes I read a book dealing with a subject we are studying.  Other times I read good old fun books.  A favorite every year with my third graders has been Sideways Stories from Wayside School.  It contains 30 short (4 or 5 pages) chapters and is an easy read.  The characters are funny and it gives me a chance to laugh with my students at some of the silly things that happen.

I also read Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner when we do an Iditarod unit.  My only problem with reading it is that I have a great deal of difficulty not crying at the end, no matter how many times I read it and how much I prepare for it.  Another teacher in my school used this book as a read aloud last month.  Because she can't finish the story tear-free either, she read the first nine chapters as a read aloud and asked her students to read the last chapter on their own.  One little girl came up and hugged us with tears streaming down her cheeks.  That's a definite clue that the students become involved with the story.

Try reading aloud to your class daily if you don't already do so.  With all the benefits, it's a great way to get the most "bang for your buck."