Reading Aloud to Children

Did you know that babies that play with books, even just to chew on them, end up being better readers when they are older? Some kids do not sit still enough or want to pay attention when you read to them, but give it some time. Reading aloud to children is the gift that gives for a lifetime. Children that love to read will do better in school and throughout life. They learn to see books at a world of imagination and adventure rather than something they have to read to get through school. Instill a love of reading as early as you can.

You should start reading aloud to children as early on as you can. Most babies will like to hear your voice, which is a great start. When they get a little older, they are going to want to explore the books with their hands and by putting them into their mouth. When this happens, you want to have block books or books with thick pages that are made for babies. They won't ruin the pages that way but they can explore to their heart's content. If they won't let you read, don't stress too much. They will soon enough.

Toddlers do not have much of an attention span, so choose your books carefully when you want to read aloud to children. Use different voices when you read, make silly faces, and keep the books short. Also, pick a time each day for reading so that they know this is a part of their day. Many parents like to do this right before bed, which is a great time, but you can do it any other time of the day if that works out better for you. If they bring you a book, stop and read to them. This shows them that reading is important and that they are important too.

As children advance past toddler stage, reading aloud to children is going to be even more fun. At this time, you are going to find that they are going to sit still a little longer and they are going to get into any story that you read to them. You may also find that they want to hear the same one over and over again. Keep using funny voices and have fun with the stories for their enjoyment. Take it slowly so that you can talk about the story and even look at the pictures for a better understanding of what is going on in the book. They may even take the book from you and read it back to you, using their own story, of course.

Children will outgrow story time eventually, but you may be surprised how old they are before they do not want story time any longer. Reading aloud to children should be something you do as long as they are willing to listen. Some kids as old as twelve will sit with you and read as long as you have chosen books that are for their age level and of interest to them. The more you read to them the more they are going to read on their own. There are no downsides to reading with your kids, and you get some great snuggles and cuddles in the process.