Reading Aloud for Child Success
is the best way to assure that your child will be able to provide for themselves as adults.
With one out of five students graduating from high school unable to read well enough to hold down a substantial job, we have to do something different in order for our children to survive.
30 years of research*** clearly outlines a simple free process to enable your child’s ability to read above average. This simple technique can be done at home and at school. Studies show that parents and or grandparents that read aloud to their children 10-15 minutes a day have children in the top 5 % of their class even in college. These same students are the top 5% of management in the workplace as well.
How to read aloud to your child?
Reading a book without pictures to a poor reader is like learning to ride a bicycle blindfolded.
- To start reading aloud, always start with a book with many colorful, descriptive pictures or illustrations.
- Let the child tell you the story by asking what each page means to them. Then read the story text so the child can associate words with the pictures.
- Ask the child to guess what will happen next.
- Get the child involved by asking what if questions.
- When the child answers, follow up with another leading them down the interpretation trail.
For the child that doesn’t like to read…
- Suggest that we are going to go on an adventure at 7:00 pm tonight.
- Select a book that has a subject that the child has an interest in.
- For the second reading suggest that the child choose a book. Then you choose a book.
- If the child is reluctant to go on the next reading adventure, give them a choice at 7:pm. “We can read your book, my book or just turn out the lights and go to bed.
- For the child that doesn’t want to read new books, have 2 book baskets. One basket for new books and one basket for read books. “After we finish the new book basket, we will have your favorite dessert for dinner.”
- “If you like some of the old books the best we will buy your own bookcase to store them in when we have finished the ‘read basket’.”
- It is OK if the child goes to sleep during the reading. Finish the book the following night.
- It is important to read books that are above the child’s reading level, and that are exciting to listen to.
- Its OK to break the reading into 2 nights if the book is longer than 10 pages. Start the next reading by asking the child, “What do you think is going to happen next?”
- If the child is reluctant to start the reading session, BE CONSISTANT! At the same time every night prepare the child to get ready for a new adventure. After a couple of weeks the child will not object to the reading regimen.
To accomplish reading when the parent or grandparent cannot make the designated time. Go to: https://legacytoo.com/ and record a Dr. Qooz story book,
free of charge, that can be played while business, military or circumstances prevent you to read with your child. Oral history in the form of your voice is stored in the cloud for your great great grandchildren yet to be born and they will be able to hear you in your voice, tell a story.
Creating awards for reading progress, can compliment your reading subjects, travel, gifts but should always be earned. Never a consolation.
*** Read-Aloud Handbook (2001). Jim Trelease.