Are you hoping to make reading together as a family more engaging and fun? Storytime can be such a special time, but it certainly can get repetitive. Here are 4 tips to make reading together more enjoyable!
Why Reading Together Is So Important
Reading together has so many benefits! Not only does it increase parent and child bonding, but it also provides an opportunity for those literacy skills to grow. It helps a child learn to love reading while increasing vocabulary and comprehension skills.
If you are already in the habit of reading to your child, that is great! You should be very proud that you are being consistent with story time. It really is something to celebrate. As parents, we sometimes need to celebrate the small wins of the day.
However, just like any routine with your child, you may feel that reading aloud has become a little boring or tiresome lately. Your child may be reluctant to participate. If these things are happening, do not worry!
Check out some of these tips below to bring the fun back to story time with your little one.
1. Have Your Child Choose the Book
When it is time to settle in and pick out the story, who does the choosing? Sometimes, it can be way easier for the adult to select the story to read. If you have the time (and patience), let your child select the book for story time. When your child is more interested in the story from the very beginning, you will see much better engagement.
What do you do if your child chooses a book that has as many words as a college biology textbook? If that is the case, a great solution would be to offer some controlled choices. To do this, present 2-3 books of your own choosing and then have your child choose the final book.
2. Make Personal Connections to the Book
While you are reading the story to your child, share a personal story that is related. Don’t overthink this one. If the character in the book is feeling happy, tell your child about a recent experience that made you very happy! It’s that simple!
When you make connections to yourself, we are building our child’s background knowledge. The more that is known about a specific topic, the easier it is to listen and understand it.
3. Don’t Rush
Reading to your child is such an important part of the day that we can often overlook. Make sure to give your child enough time to explore the book. Let them ask questions about the book. Give them the opportunity to sound out some new words.
Sometimes, you need to move story time along… I get it! If you need to reel your child back in, just let them know that you are simply loving this book and you cannot wait to find out what happens next!
4. Be Silly
Reading together is the perfect time to use those silly voices! Match your voice to the different emotions the character is experiencing. If the character is shouting and angry, try that! If a character is singing, sing it! I guarantee that will get some laughter in the room.
Make the book interactive by acting out certain character actions, such as hopping, running, or swimming.
Are you ready to use some of these suggestions the next time you’re reading to your child?
This post was all about how to make reading together as a family more enjoyable and fun. These are things that I have started to do, and I have certainly seen the difference!
