During this pandemic, families are finding more time for read alouds and read alongs. Why are these times spent with young learners so important? Here’s a few reasons. I hope I will convince you that they are not just time fillers…but valuable learning experiences.
- Children learn from models. Show them the fun and value in reading…they will want to take part in that activity under your guidance and eventually independently.
- Reading and hearing books expand vocabulary. The larger our listening vocabulary the more knowledge we bring to reading and learning. Those words we heard will eventually be words we can read on our own.
- Discussions about the characters, settings, and plot help children understand the arc of a story. You might even learn some of their deep thinking about topics.
- You can just have fun…no book reports, no post reading list of question…just get some joy out of sharing a book!
Some rules of the reading aloud road:
- If you or the child are bored by the book…pick another one!
- Have fun with voices, sounds…anything to make the experience more exciting.
- Vary the books you read…sometimes fiction, sometimes poetry, sometimes nonfiction..try a biography of someone of interest to your family.
- Learn what the child is interested in…pick some books that connect to that topic. You can nudge them into other topics when something in “their” book taps into a new interest.
- Be willing to reread…and reread…and reread. There is comfort in the familiar and sometimes one book just has to have several reruns.
Want some additional advice from a children’s author? Check out Mem Fox’s site for reading aloud. You will love it (and her!).
Happy reading!