Reading out loud with your child is by far, one of the best things you can do to encourage a lifelong love of reading. Establish a set time of day and make it a ritual. It doesn’t have to be only at bedtime. In fact, you should select a time of day when your child is rested and peaceful. Not only does reading aloud to your child get their minds going, it is a great way for you to spend quality time with your child. Here are a few tips to making your reading sessions more fun:
• Make sure that the books you choose are appropriate for your child’s age and attention span.
• Make library trips a weekly event. Your child will love it because other children are there, and he gets to pick his own books.
• Create a space for reading that is quiet and calming. Don’t listen to the radio or television during this time. You want your child’s full attention.
• Use silly voices and sounds when you read with your child. This is guaranteed to get your child engaged in the story.
• Take time to stop and talk about the story. Ask your child open-ended questions like, “What do you think is going to happen next?”
• If your child does not yet read at all, have him fill in the story with sounds. Say you’re reading a story about dogs. Tell him when you point at him, he has to bark like a doggy.
• Make sure that the books you choose are appropriate for your child’s age and attention span.
• Make library trips a weekly event. Your child will love it because other children are there, and he gets to pick his own books.
• Create a space for reading that is quiet and calming. Don’t listen to the radio or television during this time. You want your child’s full attention.
• Use silly voices and sounds when you read with your child. This is guaranteed to get your child engaged in the story.
• Take time to stop and talk about the story. Ask your child open-ended questions like, “What do you think is going to happen next?”
• If your child does not yet read at all, have him fill in the story with sounds. Say you’re reading a story about dogs. Tell him when you point at him, he has to bark like a doggy.
