Reading at Home with Your Child
Families,
Reading aloud to your child can be one of the best experiences for both you and your child! We hope that you and your child create many loving memories as you explore children's books together, build vocabulary and learn new content. Below you will find some helpful hints to get started and make the most out of your story reading experience:
Reading aloud with your child should become part of their daily routine. Establish a routine for story time with your child. For example, will you read with your child before bed? On the rug and cozied up to big pillows? Will your child sit on your lap?
When selecting which story to read, think about topics your child may be interested in. This willinvite your child to make a connection to the story and be excited about what is being read. Examinethe illustrations/pictures in the story, are they inviting and colorful? Will this book teach my childsomething new? Flip through the book before reading it to ensure the book meets your requirements.Re-reading books several times with your child is ok too! Each time building upon something new theylearned from the previous read.
Previewing books with your child is part of the fun! Look at the pictures and talk about them. Asyou chat about the pictures, you prepare your children to enjoy the book, and you can explain newvocabulary or names they will be introduced to throughout the story. This would be a great time tomake predictions, discuss characters etc.
Become one with the book and keep your child’s attention. You can accomplish this by becomingthe animals in the book by barking like the dog or meowing like the cat. You can also change your voiceto become different characters. Your child will love the feeling and passion you display as your read thestory.
While reading, invite your child to discuss the illustrations and ask your child questions about thestory being read. These questions may begin with who, what, where, when, why, how etc. Afterreading, invite your child to discuss their favorite part of the story, discuss the characters, setting,problem, solution or make a connection from their life/experiences to something that occurred in thestory.
You can extend the story you read with your child by using new vocabulary from the story andintegrating it into their daily conversations, invite them to illustrate a picture about something new theylearned or their favorite part of the book. You can also invite your child to think of an alternate ending forthe story or create their own version of the book.