“Reading aloud with children is known to be the single most important activity for building the knowledge and skills they will eventually require for learning to read.”
-Marilyn Jager Adams
You can’t argue with that logic! We all know that reading to young children is essential for their development. But how old is too old to be read aloud to? Never! And, when should you start? Right now! Family reading can quickly become a cherished part of your child’s daily routine. Not to mention the endless list of benefits for your child’s mental and emotional development. In this busy day and age, reading out loud is doubly beneficial: It’s a great way to make time for family and for good books!
Here are some tips to make family reading even more fun:
- Kids are never too young for books. Even if they cannot read, holding books, flipping pages, and becoming familiar with the location of text in books are all necessary to the “pre-reading” development skills.
- Pick books that will engage your audience. There is nothing wrong with reading a silly book about gross or unusual topics if they keep your audience captivated.
- Some books “flow” better out loud than others, so pick your story time books carefully. A lot of storybooks are written to be audibly pleasing, so pay attention to the rhythm of the words. The way you pause and pace your reading will not be lost on your child. In fact, it will give them a guide when they start reading on their own.
- Try using different voices for different characters. You might feel a little silly at first, but kids love it … even as they grow up!
- Make your child a part of the reading experience. Have them sit in your lap and turn the pages for you. Ask them questions about what they think will happen, or why someone acted a certain way. Just because they aren’t doing the reading, doesn’t mean their brains aren’t stimulated.
- Narrative stories can be made more dynamic by assigning roles and taking turns reading your parts out loud. Reading out loud also exposes your kids as they get older to books that might be beyond their current reading level, or to classic books that they (and you) might not otherwise read.
- Make sure you give plenty of time for the pictures. Today’s storybooks are written so the pictures and text are complimentary to each other. Very often, the pictures are telling a different or more complex story than the words, so don’t miss out on them.
Reading out loud to your children is a wonderful addition to your child’s daily routine. Both parent and child will benefit from the time spent together. So what are you waiting for? Its time for a story!
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Filed under: Learning Tips Tagged: | education, family activities
When my kid was in 4th grade her daily ‘reading’ assignment was to read aloud to me? At first I thought that was strange since we’d been told this same thing.. read to your kid daily and all that..? Oh well we did as we were told.. and guess what?? Turns out it really did benefit the kid… she was forced to slow down (comprehension increased) when she struggled over a word I could tell her what it was quickly so there was 1) no frustration and 2) she increased her vocabulary at the same time… And I was better able to keep up on how her reading was going and what books she liked so I could help her pick out plenty of fun ones that summer from the library!