This is information I learned about "think-alouds," to teach reading to elementary students:

A "think-aloud" is where a teacher reads a text aloud and asks herself questions or otherwise comments as she reads, to model for the students the strategies to use to comprehend what they need to gain from the text(s); appropriate ways they should think aloud to self-assess and increase comprehension as they make predictions, ask themselves questions, find answers, make connections to real world issues and experiences, and consider many details when figuring out what they need to know about the text(s) they are reading.

During a student think-aloud, students are coached by the teacher as they go along, but they also think aloud--speak their thoughts--about what strategies to use to figure out what the text means and what they should gain from it.

Questions are needed in a think-aloud, for the teacher to guide the student with specific questions through the text and the student’s correct interpretation and comprehension of it, as the student searches for and finds the answers. The questions also prompt the student to stay on track, stay engaged, and look for the answers truly needed to comprehend the text as fully as possible.

Think-alouds can be used to assess students, because they provid an explicit understanding of the student’s thoughts about the texts. If the teacher needs to correct something, the teacher can immediately address the issue as she hears the student speaking.

If a student doesn't understand something in a text, they can use strategies such as context clues or a dictionary to discover the meaning of unknown words; to reread the text and connect to previous experience or real-world issues; to look at other clues in the text to see settings and character actions and other things that may provide consistency and show whether the student’s thoughts about the thing confusing him may or may not flow with the text; to summarize outloud or in his mind what he already knows about the text; to allow the teacher to ask more questions to help guide him the right way.

Students can make predictions before reading, then as the student learns information while reading, he may modify the predition to better fit the story. After reading, he may use them to connect to real-world knowledge, verify the theme, and summarize the work.

Here are my definitions of terms applicable to think-alouds: 

1. Dialogic Reading - Students tell or read a story, while the teacher listens. The teacher has the student(s) (alone or in small groups) read the story at least once, asking questions to help guide them to deeper understanding. 
2. CROWD -  Completion; Recall; Open Ended questions and statements; the 5 W's (Who/What/Why/When/Where?); and connections to real-world experiences
3. PEER  - Prompt; Evaluate ; Expand; and Repeat.
4. Tripod Response Sheet - Personal (journaling), Creative (Reader's Theater or other acting out of the text), and Critical (opinion essay). 
5. Think-Pair-Share - Students are assigned a buddy or small group and asked to predict, think of questions, decide on theme, etc.) They talk with the buddy or small group first, then share with the entire class. 

These ideas can help you understand your reading students and teach them more effectively. 

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