Words are the key to so many parts of our day-to-day lives. From signs along the road to books, menus and social media. A life without the use of words would be very difficult. Sadly, there are many in our world that do not have the luxury of understanding the written word. Read Aloud Day is a day when we all pause to celebrate reading aloud with our children. It also serves as a reminder that reading is an important developmental milestone in children’s lives. Take some time out of your busy schedule to sit down with your child and a good book. Enjoy some of the ideas provided to add a little extra flare to your reading time.
Activities Your Kids Will Love…
- Red Cat Reading offers FREE downloadable books for various reading levels that you can enjoy with your child. Hop on your tablet or laptop for a fun reading time while incorporating technology into your read aloud time.
- Take turns reading aloud. My daughter and I love to read this way. I read aloud and she follows along. Then, I randomly stop and she has to read the next word. This is a great way to read with young readers because you can read the more complex words and they can read words that they are more familiar with. Reading this way builds confidence and prevents children from getting frustrated.
- Use voices. If you can, try to change your voice when the speaker in the book changes. For example, if you are reading a book with a mouse character; make your voice high pitched and squeaky. If you are reading a book that is set in Great Britain, maybe you could try your best to speak in a British accent. This keeps children engaged and also teaches them about the characters in the book. Read Aloud Day is a great excuse to encourage shy children to practice making funny voices!
- Read without words. If your child is not yet able to read the words on the page, let him or her “read” the pictures and tell you the story. As you go, you could identify some words throughout the story and help your child understand that words have meaning. This technique reminds children that reading is fun and will help build excitement for when he or she is able to read.
- Introduce the book before you begin. Be sure to identify the author and the illustrator (if it has art/pictures) of the book. If your child is younger, you could demonstrate how to turn pages and if your child is older, you could try to identify the setting of the book or discuss who the characters are. You could also ask questions such as “what do you think this story is about?” or “what do you hope to learn from this book?” Part of the value of reading aloud comes from the quality time spent reading with another child, teen, or adult.
by Gabrielle Fisher
What ideas do you have for celebrating Read Aloud Day? Let us know in the comments 🙂