Read Aloud is a powerful yet simple strategy that teachers and parents can use to teach children. Read aloud literally means just that- to read aloud.
As simple as it may sound, reading aloud delivers a lot of benefits to children. These include:
- develops a love for reading
- introduces new vocabulary
- promotes language development
- instills good values
- boosts imagination and creativity
- increases attention span
The following are some simple tips that will help you make the most out of your read aloud sessions at home:
5 Tips To Help You Do Story Read Aloud Like A Pro
1. Choose the right book
Children are easily attracted to cute and colorful illustrations so make that a priority in choosing a book to read. If you can hook a child with just the pictures, you are already one-step ahead.
An equally important factor in choosing a book is the moral of the story. Make sure that the children would gain valuable lessons after your read alone time.
2. Read with your whole body
Let your whole body make the story come alive. Use movements. Do dramatic pauses. Change your voice with different characters. Display different facial expressions. Do simple actions as deemed appropriate by the story.
Don’t let the book be the only visuals during your read aloud time. Think of yourself as the extension of the story and you’ll definitely be a hit to your child.
3. Involve Your Child
Let your child be an active participant during your read aloud time. Ask questions about the story. Ask your child what she thinks will happen next. Ask her the names of the characters. Invite her to do the movements with you. Assign her a repeating line or dialogue that she can say.
The more immersed your child is in the read aloud, the more that she’ll enjoy and learn from it.
4. Wrap-up The Story
End your read aloud by doing a quick review. Ask about the basic elements of the story. Help your child be aware of the moral lesson. Lead her to have conclusions and maybe even do a simple problem solving. This practice will help your child develop her critical thinking skills.
5. Level-up
You can extend your child’s learning experience by adding simple activities that she can work on after the read aloud. You may ask her to color a page related to the story. Or you can do art and craft activities. The possibilities are endless. You just need to be creative.
Listening to stories being real aloud is one of the most priceless and pleasurable experiences children can have. And it should be a part of a child’s daily routine. Start today!
What is your special technique to get your child engaged in story read aloud?
I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to comment down below.
Happy reading!
