Communiqué
Reading Aloud to Your Student
Research shows this is probably the most important thing you can do to encourage your child’s reading success. Here are some tips from author Jim Trelease’s “The Read-Aloud Handbook,” an excellent source to read before you begin:
1. Begin to read to your child as soon as possible – no matter how young.
2. Try to set aside time every day for reading aloud. You can start with just 10 minutes a day.
3. Remember that the art of listening is an acquired one. It must be taught and cultivated gradually.
4. Vary the length and subject matter of your reading.
Also, here are some read-aloud ideas, also from “The Read-Aloud Handbook.”
1. Read only stories you enjoy reading yourself.
2. Be prepared for interruptions from your child. He may have many questions. Answer his questions immediately.
3. Quality is better than quantity. Your child will remember 10 minutes of reading together far longer than he will remember two hours of television.
4. Parents, in most cases, should decide the activities for their children, depending on the age of the child. Reading is more important than watching television. Trelease says that if parents ask children if they would prefer a story or TV, kids will usually choose television. But, he says, “since you are the adult, you choose.” Tell your child the TV will be turned off at 8:30, regardless. It he wants a story, fine. If he doesn’t, that is okay, too. But don’t give your child the idea that books are the reason he cannot watch TV.
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