Future educators must learn to guide literacy in worlds where students already interact with text in creative ways. This study explores how preservice teachers navigated BookTok to design and deliver digital read alouds that support understanding, engagement, and identity expression for diverse learners. Participants selected culturally resonant texts and used layered video tools including voiceovers, movement, transitions, captions, and music to model expressive fluency and comprehension strategies. As they experimented with pacing and emphasis, they deepened their understanding of how multimodal performance can make reading accessible and emotionally meaningful for students with varied language strengths and learning needs. Reflective observations showed increased confidence integrating technology with literacy instruction as well as a shift toward valuing student voice and interpretation as evidence of learning. This research offers a pathway for teacher preparation programs to strengthen read aloud pedagogy through technology as a living practice that honors how youth communicate, imagine, and make meaning today.

Authors:
Rosa Dokes, Lamar University, United States

About the Presenter(s)
Dr Rosa Dokes is an Assistant Professor of Literacy Education at Lamar University. Her interests include digital literacies, diverse texts, and multimodal reading instruction. Her current research explores BookTok as a tool for global storytelling.

See this presentation on the full schedule – Thursday Schedule

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