Tips for Reading to Children
As a preschool teacher, I read a lot of books to children - but truth be told, I have always read a lot of books to children. I read books to my nieces and nephews (I became and aunt for the first time at age 12). I read books to the kids I babysat for in high school. And of course, I read millions of books to my own children. I love reading books to young people. I don't know if I am exactly an expert, but I do have some ideas that I think might be helpful if you are the type that likes tips and tricks.
Make time for reading. This is pretty basic. When reading a book, be fully engaged with the child. It is a bonding experience that is about so much more than the content of the book. It is time, a treasure beyond compare.
Have lots of books. The library can help. Try to add diversity to your book list. Look for good books featuring people of color. Preview your books to make sure they have a message you can stand behind – and to give yourself some familiarity with the books to make your reading better.
My granddaughter, enjoying our library Have a variety of book styles: fiction, nonfiction, words, no words, board books, rhyming books, short books, long books, and so on forever. Keep them in a place where they are accessible to the child.
Read everywhere: in the car, in the kitchen, in bed, in a box, with a fox....You can read to the child in a highchair or a baby bouncer, or when he/she is sick in bed. Be creative.
Don't say “no” to reading that same book AGAIN. Repetition builds language structure in the brain of a child. It also builds memory pathways, and BONUS - it makes you a better oral reader, too.
Me, reading this book to nieces and nephews for the 100th time. Tips for the actual reading: vary your pace, inflection, character voices, and volume. Add sound effects. Lose your inhibitions! Your audience will appreciate it. Oh, did you know that any page of a printed book can be turned into a SONG? Isn't this exciting information?! Just sing whatever tune comes into your head and make a silly book into a silly song. It will be different the next time you read it, since you will never remember the silly tune you made up, but that doesn't matter. The point here is the sky is the limit. “Do” the book however you feel like doing it.
The book is a prop. It doesn't need to remain stationary.
The listener is a child. He/she doesn't need to remain stationary.
You are an interpreter of the written word. You don't need to remain stationary.
Don't let your own feelings of inadequacy keep you from reading. The more you read, the better you will get. If it's fun for you, it will be fun for your audience.
Find participation books. When a phrase repeats, have the child say it. When you find a rhyme, let the child say it. When you get to the end of a page of a book you have read a million times, let the child say the ending. Encourage the child to be a part of the reading process.
Ask questions. Pause to talk. Let the child predict what might happen next in new books. Explain new vocabulary. Answer questions. Look up answers when you don't know them. Be a learner with your learners.
Don't stop. Keep reading to children long past the time when they can read for themselves. Keep reading chapter books. Turn off the world around you and travel to the world inside a book. No one is too old or too young to have someone read him/her a book.
Is thirteen enough? (I have already changed this question twice, from “Is eleven enough?” to “Is twelve enough?” to where it is now. Ha!) There are so many other things I could share, but this list is a beginning. The most important one is to have/make time for reading to become a priority. Savor it. Laugh about it. Learn from it. Do it. And if you can, love it. That will make all the difference.
I'm going to close with this video of me reading a story. It uses some of the above suggestions, but not all. Each book will have its own interpretations. If I were reading this book to a live audience, I would be stopping often to chat about the great vocabulary words. I would be enjoying the repetitions. I would be stopping to ask for predictions of what will come next. I would be talking about the illustrations. I would even talk about feelings, like disappointment and gratitude. With that in mind, sit down and have a listen.
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