Reading to Children

Here are some tips on reading books to children.  Don’t let this discourage you or make you think reading is not beneficial if you don’t do these things.  I think ANY reading to children is great for them, but if you incorporate one or more of these ideas when you read, you may make it even more so.  Obviously, different ones are appropriate for different ages.

1.  Slow down.  Don’t be in a hurry.  Take the time to look at the pictures on the page together, talk about them.  If there are pictures hidden under flaps, let your child open them.

2.   Ask questions: “What color is this?” “Do you see a ball?”  “How many fish are there?”  “What does a pig say?”  “What shape is this?”

3.  Point to pictures on the page as you read about them.

4.  Incorporate a reading lesson.  Many books begin with a larger, decorative letter.   Ask your child what letter it is, and talk about what starts with that letter.  Begin teaching sight words: have your child spell out the letters of words that are easy to recognize (in the title, on a stop sign, etc.) and say the word.  Point to words as you read them.  In a book your child is familiar with, stop at random times and let your child fill in the next word (whether he’s reading it or saying it from memory).

5.  Make it exciting.  Read words like “Hooray!” with expression.  Take on different voices for different characters.  Act out sound effects: yawning, knocking, etc.

6.  Teach your child to think about the plot.  “What do you think is going to happen next?”

7.  Incorporate books into life: “Look, there’s a car transporter, like we saw in your truck book.”  After reading a book about the moon, clouds, fireflies, etc., go outside and see them.  Read a book about the zoo before or after going to the zoo and talk about what you did or didn’t see.

8.  If you read about a place ("Lions live in Africa"), find that place on a map or globe.

Reading is such a great opportunity for early learning, not to mention cuddling, spending time together and otherwise interacting.  Read as much as you can!  I've been reading to Cooper since he was an infant.  I hope I am instilling in him a love for books and for learning that he will never outgrow.

My brother reading to Cooper and his cousins