Create A Home Full of Fun Literacy Experiences
(continued)
Do you remember a favorite book you read as a child? Did you like it because of the pictures? The words? Or maybe it was because of who read it to you? Help your children find a favorite book by establishing a daily time to read aloud to your children.
There's no right time to read. Try after dinner, before bed, in the car (try a digital book), while waiting for the bus or an appointment, or even during a TV commercial.
If you are short on time, choose a chapter book and read just a few paragraphs. This will leave your child anticipating what will happen next! I would recommend one of these titles to get you started on chapter book read alouds- - Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, Junie B Jones, or Captain Underpants, to name just a few! If you like one of these titles, you can continue the fun by choosing another book from the series.
While reading, ask your child to respond to the text- How did they feel about a character? What did they like about a picture? What do they think will happen next? After reading, ask what they liked or disliked about the book. These questions help your child to develop their own opinions and to learn about expressing ideas. Responding to text supports reading comprehension and language development.
Top 6 Must-Read Alouds for Early Childhood as recommended by many sites- Goodnight Moon, Brown Bear Brown Bear, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Where the Wild Things Are, The Cat in the Hat, The Velveteen Rabbit
Top Favorites Read Alouds for Later Elementary- Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Ivy and Bean, The BFG, The World According to Humphrey, Ramona the Pest
Have fun!
Mary Bower
Milton-Union Literacy Coach