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Researchers have outlined the benefits of reading to children. But how do you get the most out of story time? How do you know your children are getting anything out of reading when they can’t even recognize letters yet?
First of all, be selective about the books you bring into your home. Thousands of children’s books are published each year, some wonderful and many mediocre. Next time you’re in the children’s section of your local library, ask for a list of Caldecott and Newberry Award winners. These books, along with the nominees, are excellent selections. You’d do well to make a collection of these fantastic books.
For younger children, choose books with bright, clear, cheerful illustrations and short, simple text. As your child grows, look for books with longer, more detailed text and plots. If she seems disinterested or restless with the longer text, go back to a simpler book and try again in a few months.
Choose books your child will be interested in. Children are much more likely to pay attention and really learn from story time if they genuinely like the subject. If your child loves dinosaurs, find books, both fiction and non-fiction, about dinosaurs. If Halloween is coming up, look for books about trick-or-treating and costumes.
To help your child learn comprehension skills, even before she can read to herself, ask questions as you read the story (“Who is knocking at the door?”). Asking questions will invite your child to be involved with the story, and she’ll look for details and plot devices more readily. Also, relate the story to aspects of your child’s life. If the story is about a small boy who spends the day with his grandmother, remind your child about a day she spent with a grandparent. Ask her what she likes to do with her grandmother, and the story will become more realistic and interesting to her.
Be expressive as you read. Even Peter Pan would be boring if read in a monotone voice. Change your tone of voice as you read dialogue, and sound excited when you reach the climax of the plot. Your child will react to your enthusiasm with a longer-than-average attention span.
Scheduling time to read with your child can be tricky, especially if you work all day and have a busy evening schedule. Reading at bedtime is probably the most common daily reading ritual. It rounds out the bedtime routine and can be very soothing for children. But try not to limit your child’s reading strictly to bedtime because she will associate reading with sleeping, and it may be difficult for her later to sit down and read for long periods without falling asleep. Reading right after dinner may be a good alternative. Your child will be wide awake and alert because her blood sugar is up and she has spent stimulating time with the rest of the family.
By following these simple guidelines, you can make the most out of story time. The comprehension skills your child learns as you read to her (even in infancy) will help her do better in school later on, and she will become a lifelong reader, always eager to learn more.
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