Have you heard that reading aloud is a good thing to do with your children and yet you feel awkward reading aloud to your children, do you get the feeling that your children would rather be some place else?
Top 5 tips for Reading Aloud
- Choose a book you enjoy and that you know your child will enjoy.
- Read aloud every day
- Use expression in your voice, face, body
- Build anticipation – stop at a crucial spot promising more tomorrow
- Allow time to talk about the story – savouring it together is a part of the experience
When my children were young I went to a workshop with Mem Fox (one of the top Australian children’s authors). The most memorable thing I remember is her talking about how parents read picture books to their children. She gave us an illustration which she timed. She read through the book, barely glancing at the pictures and with a flat tone. We all felt a tad guilty! We know the times we have got through a story like that!
Then she reset her timer and read the same story but with expression and wonder. To our surprise there was very little time difference between the two different ways. Since she showed us it really wasn’t a time issue it was a matter of us mothers putting our hearts into it. It was a valuable lesson.
Mem Fox has a recorded A Read-aloud Lesson, which I encourage you to listen to.
