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Entertainment Topics
The Magic of Making Stories
Reading Aloud
What makes reading aloud so wonderful? Not only do you help your child’s brain to grow, but you also share in the process of discovering a good story.
For those of you who have a touch of the actor in you, reading aloud gives you the most appreciative audience. Studies show that reading aloud aids the growth of a child’s language, understanding of how a story works, and even self-image.
What I have found surprising is that once one starts, it’s hard to stop — even when kids are grown. I read picture books to my 3-year-old, J.R.R. Tolkien to my 10-year-old, and humorous travel books to my teenagers. Great fun! Tips for Reading Aloud
For Preschoolers
- Start your kids early.
- Try to read aloud every day. Even just 10 minutes.
- It’s a process. Just as you learn how to read aloud, they’ll learn how to listen.
- Read with feeling. See yourself as an actor — slow down or speed up depending on that part of the story. You are an actor on a very small stage.
- If reading a picture book, make sure the kids can see the pictures. Laps are perfect for this.
- Don’t worry about interruptions. Allow kids to think aloud about the story.
- Get your child involved. Let them guess what happens next or finish a sentence they’ve learned from repetition.
For School-age Kids
- Don’t stop reading just because they have Reading in school.
- When you move to chapter books, keep the selections short enough to hold their attention. Leave your audience hanging.
- Try reading in different settings. I once read The Summer of the Monkeys to my kids during short trips to local parks.
- Be enthusiastic. Kids will love what you love.
- Remember, not all great books are great read-alouds. Tom Sawyer is a classic, but it’s also a challenging book to listen to. (I know this the hard way.) There are lists
of good read-aloud books available on the Web.
- Make some books seasonal traditions. My kids love to hear my wife read The Greatest Christmas Pageant Ever every couple of years.
For Teens
- Encourage them to read to a younger brother or sister
- Read to them short passages of books you’re reading. “Hey, listen to this!”
- Have a read-aloud night when each member of the family can read a short portion of a favorite book.
For more advice, the Reading
Is Fundamental website is very helpful.— Bruce Van Patter
Do you have thoughts, questions, advice on this topic? Post your stories and comments in the forum for other parents to respond to. Enter the forum now.
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