Reading Aloud

"Can you read this to me please?" a child will ask, and who can say no?  Well, perhaps we buy some time with a "Later, OK?" but ultimately, anyone who spends time around children and books will have opportunities to read aloud.

Some of us feel more confident in our abilities to read to an audience than others.  We might have an idea in our heads of what the book should sound like, but we are afraid of over-acting or sounding silly.  It could be that simply getting the words past our lips is work enough in itself and we don't have any energy left to try to make it sound like something.

Reading aloud to children is a skill that can be learned and improved upon with practice.  We don't all have to become professional story tellers or performers, but most of us could use some extra help!

Do:

1.  Enjoy the story. 
2.  Think about what you're reading.
3.  SLOW down; it is not a race!
4.  Lower your pitch to avoid a squeaky, high voice.
5.  Make your voice softer for effects instead of louder.
6.  Build in pauses for       dramatic       effect.
7.  Take time to enjoy the illustrations.
 

Don't

1.  Rush
2.  Think about others who might be listening.
3.  Use the same tone of voice for the entire story.
4.  Overdo different voices for different characters.
5.  Turn the experience into a comprehension Q & A.


The most important thing is to enjoy the experience and slow down.  Find a comfortable, quiet spot to sit with a child for your read aloud sessions. 

Read every day and have fun!