Click here for tips on choosing books for children

  1. Read aloud to your child everyday. Make it a regular part of your busy schedule.
  2. Allow your child to select the book to be read.
  3. Sit your child close to you when reading aloud. Let your child assist you by holding the book or turning the pages.
  4. Read the title of the book to your child. Tell your child the author and illustrator’s names.
  5. Look at the cover of the book. Ask your child to tell you what he/she thinks the book is about.
  6. Use expression while reading the story. Change your voice as you read the dialogue of different characters.
  7. Read the text exactly as it is written. Allow your child to see the words in the story.
  8. Ask questions during the story. (Why…?, What do you think will happen next?, What might happen if…?)
  9. Encourage your child to look at the illustrations. Talk about the details and clues in the pictures.
  10. After reading the story, try one of the following:
  • Have your child draw a picture of a favorite part or character.
  • Have your child retell the story.
  • Read the story again.
  • Go to the library or bookmobile and let your child pick another book by the same author or on the same subject.
  • Have your child write a similar book. He/she can write or draw to tell the story.

 

"The single most important activity for building the knowledge required for eventual success in reading is reading aloud to children."

From: Becoming a Nation of Readers: The Report of the Commission on Reading.  N.B.: This is an external link.  Click the Back button on your browser to return to these pages.