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<<To go to our lists of recommended books for each age level, use the links in the left-hand column. The Importance of Reading Aloud to Your Children Below are some suggestions for reading aloud gleaned from our own experience and from The Read Aloud Handbook. 1. Begin reading to children as soon as possible. Studies have even shown that reading to children in the womb enhances language recognition skills. 2. Try and establish a routine time that children can anticipate and when reading can be leisurely and uninterupted. 3. Remember, the art of listening must be cultivated. Expect short attention spans at first. If you notice interest waning, read shorter selections or find books with short stories or chapters. However, if it is obvious that no one is interested in the book you've chosen, don't hesitate to put it aside and choose another. 4. Start with picture books and build to stories and novels. Reword difficult passages. Vary the length, difficulty, and subject matter. 5. Find a suspenseful spot at which to stop. 6. Make sure everyone is comfortable. 7. Allow time for discussion and meaningful interruptions, but don't turn discussions into quizzes, impose interpretations of the book's meaning on the listeners, or insist upon using the book as a teaching opportunity. Resist the urge to "educate" while reading aloud. 8. Use plenty of expression, varying your tone of voice to fit the dialog. 9. Read slowly enough for the listeners to build mental pictures of what they have heard. Slow down in picture books and let children fully examine the illustrations. 10. Add a third dimension to the book whenever possible, like serving blueberries when reading Blueberries for Sal. 11. With boys, let the father do as much of the reading as possible. 12. Provide crayons, Duplos, etc. for active children who find it difficult to just sit and listen. 13. Be aware of a child's emotional level and choose books that do not violate it. What this means is, don't read scary stories to a fearful child, sad animal stories to a child who has a tender heart toward animals, etc. You want your read aloud time to be something that that children look forward to, not something that upsets them. Great Read-Alouds The Complete Tales of Beatrix Potter © Copyright 2011. Home School Marketplace Be sure to sign up for our ejournal! Sign up below. |
