by Linda Haver

Created on: July 05, 2010   Last Updated: July 06, 2010

Reading aloud to your children is one of the greatest benefits you can give to your offspring.  Studies have shown that children who are read to become better readers.  Parents also reap the rewards of read aloud time because they get to spend quality time with their children.

Reading aloud to your children should be incorporated into your daily routine.  Just the act of reading every day benefits children by showing them that reading is important.  Hearing an adult read will spark a young child’s curiosity about letters and sounds.  Older children will become aware of rhymes, new vocabulary, and sentence structure.  Reading aloud builds a foundation for a child’s independent reading skills.

Teach your children to visualize the storyline when you are reading aloud.  Creating a movie in their mind is a skill that will aid comprehension.  Tell them the picture you’re a imagining and ask them what they are seeing as you read.

Talk about new vocabulary. When there is a word in the book that is unfamiliar to them, show them how to use context or pictures clues to help figure out the meaning of the word.  By stopping and talking about the meaning of new words you are modeling an important reading strategy.  Many young readers have a tendency to skim over unfamiliar vocabulary when they are reading independently.

Use expression and varied voice tones when reading to children.  This technique helps the story come alive to the child and will also help them become more fluent readers. 

Stop and make story predictions while reading.  Try to guess what a character will do next or what twist the plot might take.   Encourage your children to help with these predictions.  Give the reasons why your think something will happen and use evidence from the text to support your ideas.  Children will benefit from this practice by becoming better thinkers during independent reading.

After reading a book with a plotline, have the children retell the story in their own words.  This practice will help you see if they are grasping the main idea and some of the details in the story.  This is an excellent gauge for comprehension.

Expose your children to different genres of books during read aloud time.  Teach strategies for reading non-fiction books by pointing out the charts, graphs, and any underlined or boldfaced words that give meaning to the topic.  Show them how to use the table of contents and glossary.  Read poetry and find the rhyming words and emphasize the rhythm of the words.  By reading varied material, you are broadening your children’s literary horizons.

Every parent should be reading aloud to their children.  The benefits are tremendous and it is enjoyable for everyone involved.

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