Tips for Reading With Your Child

Are there things you can do while reading to help your child get the most out of reading time? The answer is yes!

Read on for tips on how to improve the quality of your reading time.

Before You Read

Set the mood when you sit down to enjoy a book with your child by looking closely at the book and talking about it with them. Tell your child the author and any fun details about the book. For example, if you plan to read a book from your childhood, tell them! It’s also a great time to sprinkle in any fun facts about the story, if you know any. See if you notice anything about the cover or the pages on the inside cover. Ask your child if they can guess what the book may be about or if they remember the last time you read it together.

While You Read

Reading a book can sometimes feel like you’re just reciting words, but don’t forget to keep things engaging. Don’t be afraid to pause to ask questions to your child or to answer questions they have. It can sometimes get frustrating if you get interrupted while reading, but it can mean that your child is paying attention and is engaged! Point out details in the illustrations that might add to your child’s understanding of the story.

After You Read

Talk about the book again! When you’ve finished the book, ask more questions to encourage your child to think about what you’ve read. Some questions to start with include what their favorite part was, what they think it was about or what happened in the story.

Bottom Line

Remember: these are just tips and that the main goal is always to spend quality time with your child and enjoy books together. Don’t worry if your reading time isn’t going smoothly or if you can’t do all of these things. Sometimes children might have short attention spans or have difficulty understanding the book. Don’t force reading too much; getting them to enjoy reading time and have fun is just as important. If they want to take a break, let them. These tips are meant to be kept in mind and used to enhance your reading time.

Early Literacy Week

Sunday, May 2 – Saturday, May 8.

Enjoy free books for kids at checkout and blog posts on how to support your child’s literacy and outdoor story times. Plus, be entered into a grand prize drawing for a 3 month subscription to BookRoo, a Love Them Out Loud literacy box and a $50 gift card to Out of Print.

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