From the moment that you are expecting, you are bombarded with unsolicited parenting advice. Messages about the importance of reading being one of them. But it is for good reason. The benefits aligned with it are well documented, fun, rewarding, and relatively easy to do. Something that I find extremely valuable as a mother and lover of reading myself. Here's my tips to raising your own little book lover!
What?
A lot of people struggle with what to do during story time.
- Positioning: There are multiple positions for reading that are beneficial and can be part of the daily "rotation". These include being snuggled up on the parent's lap for contact and bonding, lying on the floor for tummy time, sitting upright in a chair, or tucking them into bed to get ready to go to sleep. But, you do not always have to put them in the same position for every reading time. Actually, they don't even need to be looking at you or the book to be interested or listening. So sometimes reading can include toys being played with simultaneously. And that is perfectly fine.
- Engagement: Get involved with the story! Sing the words, make eye contact, change your tone of voice or the volume as well, act out the story through puppets or with the use of your own body, pause and them finish a repetitive phrase or rhyme, or even make the story completely your own by making up a story to the pictures. It is important to keep hings interesting, because the primary goal is to build your child's vocabulary and bond that you have with them.
- Ask questions: Further engage with them by making the story pertain to them while also assessing their comprehension of the story. Build emotional intelligence by using a story to talk about emotions by asking specific questions about the characters or relating the story to them through the times that they felt the same. The point is to just get talking about it. Before they can even respond, you can still ask questions. Because they will begin to develop pauses and the flow of conversation.
When?
Read to the kids at least once a day. Regular timing is best, but you can play upon when they are in the mood. What matters most is the sound of your voice, cadence of the text and the words themselves. And the patterns, routines, and attentive habits that you set now will last them a lifetime.
Why?
There are so many reasons as to why you should include story time into your daily mother routine.
- Less screen time: Reading provides an alternate form of entertainment.
- Sparks the imagination: It gives children the ability to believe in unlimited possibilities.
- Provides valuable exposure: Reading opens children to different cultures and ways of life. And when they are given the opportunity to be exposed to something unfamiliar, time will slow and give them the chance to process the new. They begin to see how other people think and act while also taking in the rich language to know and use them.
- Better in school later on. A lot of kids who start reading young are less inclined to have reading problems in school. Because the number of words that they are exposed to leads to a more positive impact on language and literacy development.
How?
There are so many different ways to include story time into your day that don't include the typical sit down at night reading routine.
- Swap music for an audio book. Yes, even audio books can count as a form of reading. Hearing someone read confidently can help further their fluency. Which you can do in the car, during activities, or whenever you just need some background noise.
- Model a love for reading. Children watch EVERYTHING that we do. Make a point to have them see you read. Even include them in your own books selection through discussion and pointing out things that remind you of it. Because it will show them how much joy books bring.
- Read a book, then watch the movie. This is a great way to get reluctant readers motivated. And if your kids are anything like mine, when they don't get a lot of screen time it can be exciting. It also helps develop the story further in their head - seeing it literally come to life outside of their imagination.
- Stash books everywhere! Leave them out, let them touch them, let them carry them around, and even get some waterproof ones that they can take to the bath. The more that they see them, the more that they will be inclined to having an interest in them.
Extra Tips
- Encourage them to have the power of choice, and praise them for it! They want to be included and feel capable.
- Choose books that are easy to follow along with, familiar, repetitive, and appeals to their interest.
- Read slowly so that they can fully understand, take in the story, and absorb the vocabulary.
- Most importantly, HAVE FUN!
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