"Reading Aloud to Children Creates Lifetime Bond"

This year, make reading aloud to your children a New Year’s Resolution. Reading experts say that one of the most important activity parents can do with their children is to read aloud to them. Reading aloud helps develop a number of important skills such as vocabulary development, reading comprehension, and word pronunciation. Reading aloud also helps create a bond between parents and children that will last a lifetime.
When parents choose to read aloud, three questions need to be taken into consideration: How long do I read? When is a good time to read? What do I read?

The answer to the first question varies. Some sources recommend twenty minutes per reading session and others ten. Some recommend focusing on the number of books being read, not the amount of time spent reading. I believe parents should do whatever their children will allow. My wife and I have a fifteen-month-old son. Brennan is full of energy and will only sit for five to ten minutes of reading time. Although Brennan loves listening to mommy and daddy read, if he is distracted by something, the reading session is over! My wife and I do not let this bother us. We simply read to him for as long as he will let us because the important thing is: we are reading to him.

The next question parents need to consider is “When is a good time to read?” Parents should evaluate their children’s mood and read to them during a quiet time in the child’s day. This makes the reading time much more enjoyable. If parents feel the need to set a specific time, I recommend bedtime because it can easily be made a part of the child’s night-time routine. Reading to children before bedtime also enables children to wind down before falling asleep.

Once a decision has been made on when and how long to read, the next question is “What do I read?” Parents should chose books they will have fun reading. A few books I personally enjoy reading aloud are “The Monster At The End of This Book” by Jon Stone, “A Giraffe And A Half” by Shel Silverstein, “One-Dog Canoe” by Mary Casanova, “Giggle, Giggle, Quack” by Doreen Cronin, and “An Alligator Ate My Brother” by Mary Olson. Theses books are ideal because the reader can create fun voices and child participation can be incorporated.

Also, books should be selected to meet the child’s interests. If a child loves dinosaurs, a parent should find books that have dinosaurs as main characters. A few topics I found that interest children are trains, trucks, dinosaurs, and horses.

If your New Year’s Resolution is to spend quality time reading to children, remember to keep in mind these three primary questions: “How long do I read?” “When is a good time to read?” “What do I read?” By answering these questions, you will make reading time fun and enjoyable for both your children and yourself. If you have any questions about reading aloud or would like other titles that would be ideal to read to your children, please feel free to contact me at 564-7116 Et. 4.