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We never forget our favorite books: the look, feel, and smell of pages that pulled us in when we were children. Best of all, these books evoke memories of having that special someone sitting with us, all to ourselves, and sensing that we were, together with that someone, enveloped in a fantasy world.

Reading aloud with your child is essentially a relational activity full of advantages - for grown-ups as well as for the child. It is in this shared experience of reading aloud together that adults and young children build deeper bonds, create lasting memories, and pass on values from one generation to the next.

With so much potential riding on these precious moments with our young, here are some practical tips from parents and caregivers, just like you, that will help make these moments even more special:

1. Read the book by yourself first. Look for clues in the pictures or events on which you can expand. If you enjoy it, so will your young listeners.
2. Create the right atmosphere. You don’t need to build a special reading nook; just find a quiet place for reading to help set the right mood when reading aloud. Choose a time when you and your children are relaxed. If you have more than one child, spend time reading with each child separately, especially if they are more than two years apart.

3. Be expressive! Create suspense by lowering your voice, or a dramatic effect by raising it. Try changing your accent and tone of your voice to reflect what the characters are saying. Don’t worry about how you sound; children are a forgiving and enthusiastic audience. The benefits? You release tension. And your children see reading as fun, not work. This is a wonderful chance for your child to see you as playful!
4. Let your child set the pace. It’s not just what you read to children, but how you read that matters. If we rush through stories or read without enthusiasm, children quickly lose interest. When you let your child choose the pages and set the pace, you work within your child’s attention span. Spending more time on the parts of the book that are most interesting for your child is the best way to foster a love of reading.
5. Be patient. Don’t be tempted to explain the ‘moral’ of the story. Let the experience of the characters in the story speak for themselves. However, answering questions your child raises is important even if it takes you away from the story for a while. Again, follow the pace your child sets.
6. Use the story to help your child learn. Depending on your child’s age, use the illustrations and words, the experiences of the characters, or the setting of the story to teach them about new places, new situations or unfamiliar words… or even a new language!
7. Grin and bear it. Agree to read the same story over and over again. Although this can be tiresome, repeating the same story is actually good. By reading a story more than once, you are increasing the chances your child will really learn the story and relate to its messages, as well as develop more memory skills. So, take a deep breath and relax, then pick up that all-too-familiar book with real enthusiasm, and pay attention to how much more your child knows each time you read it.
8. Be a good role model. Let your child see you reading, and share your excitement when you enjoy a great book or article of your own. This seemingly peripheral activity, however, will sub-consciously place importance of the act of reading. If she sees you enjoy and value reading, then she will too.
9. Keep it fresh! Introduce new books often. Sometimes there is that one book that temporarily steals the hearts and minds of our children. While it may be the only book your child wants to read, it’s important to remember that there are many books that will suit your child’s interests and capture her imagination. If you family is multi-lingual or multi-cultural, introducing stories of different languages or cultural origin provide opportunities for enhancing language development or appreciation of your heritage.
10. Make reading a priority. Whether it’s few minutes every night before bed or an hour every Sunday morning, it helps to set aside a specific time for reading. This kind of special “together time” can go a long way in getting - and keeping - your child interested in books.

Your child wants to be close to you and hear your voice. By establishing a reading routine and adapting these tips to your family, you will give your child a special time to look forward to each day, while creating memories for a lifetime.

About the Author

Sanjay Balasundaram, is a father of two young children, in Somerset, New Jersey, USA. With a goal of raising happy, confident and caring children, and with a passionate belief in the transformative power of a good story while snuggled in the arms of a caring adult, he founded KeenOwl Books to help other parents teach their children life skills, share family values and build character through personalized life lesson storybooks. To learn more, and to receive a free newsletter, please visit http://www.KeenOwl.com You may also contact Sanjay Balasundaram directly at sanjay@keenowl.com

(c) Copyright - KeenOwl LLC, Sanjay Balasundaram. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.

Tags: bedtime, childrens stories, parenting, reading, reading to kids, storytelling, storytime

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