Improve your reading skills as you entertain younger children by reading aloud to them. Here are some things to remember to help you gain and keep your audience's ear.
Would you like to improve your reading skills? Find a child or a group of children to read aloud to and both you and the children who hear the stories will benefit greatly. Reading to little ones can be a blessing to them. All children love stories and books, but few get all the story times they want or need. You can fill a gap by reading to them out loud.
Where to Find an Audience:
Your first step will be finding children who need some books read to them. Here are some places to start:
Your own home—a sick child or handicapped or any younger sibling would probably enjoy being read to. Visiting children might like a story while parents talk.
The library—ask the librarian if you could read to younger patrons. Sitting in the children’s area and reading aloud will draw a crowd of little ones easily.
Your school—ask a teacher if you could read to children in the lower grades during a story time once a week at a scheduled time. You might find a recess audience on the playground. Take a book out to a bench or shady spot and start reading. Kids will gather to hear the story.
Church nursery—a nursery worker or Sunday school leader may welcome a older student to read Bible stories to the children.
Your neighborhood—Post a sign for a story hour when neighborhood children would be welcomed to your porch for a story or two.
Hospitals—Often a hospital will welcome readers for their sick children. The reader must be accompanied by a parent. Readers must know about germs and illness. Don’t take any unnecessary risks. Be certain to get approval of nursing staff before every reading.
Children’s homes—Reading to institutionalized children can be especially helpful as homes are often understaffed and the house-mother may have little or no time for reading.
Daycare Centers—Ask the day care owners when you could come to read aloud to the children. This can be a great help to caregivers.
When to Read :
The second step is to set up a written schedule for any reading times arranged in advance. Impromptu readings won’t need to be written down, but you must write down all the times when children will be waiting so as not to disappoint them. Mornings, afternoons before naptimes, and early evenings are the best times.
What to Read:
Visit the library to find fun books. Look for large glossy-covered books with, lots of pictures. Small children need lots of pictures to help them stay interested in the reading. Ask a librarian which books are most loved by the children.
Longer books with few pictures can be used one-on-one with children who are good listeners. Know you audience. If you see the listeners are having trouble paying attention, change books.
Do not try to read too many stories at once. Remember that small children have a short attention span.
Read through the book a couple of times in advance to be sure you know all the words and the general idea of the story do you can add some drama.
How to Read:
Reading with expression is important. Make the story come alive with voice inflection. Change your voice up or down to add interest to the reading. Kids love changes in accent or voice for each character of you can do it. It makes to the story more fun. If there are song lyrics make a little tune for them. Make a mouse sound small, a mean person sound wicked, an angry voice sound furious, an old person sound very old. (exaggeration helps)
If there are pictures make sure all the children can comfortably see the pictures. One method with picture books is to hold the book open toward the kids. Lean the covers against your chest and turn the pages with your right hand. To read lean over or around the book to see the words. You must read this way to a group. For one or two listeners, try seating them close beside you to read. Pause often to allow them to take in the story and see the pictures.
Read clearly and pronounce the words distinctly. Practice enunciating so that all the children can hear. Reading louder does not always work with children. When you begin, read softly so the children will settle in and quiet down, wanting to hear. If they yell for you to read louder, answer that they will have to listen quietly to be able to hear. Most kids catch on and then you will not have to shout over them.
Trouble in Reading Hour:
If the children ask questions take time to stop and answer them. If one child causes disruption, stop and politely ask him to choose whether or not he would like to stay and listen some more. Asking him a question about the story may give him the attention he is needing and allow you to continue.
Thanking your Audience:
Make it a habit to thank your listeners for being a good audience. Remember that reading to children is a service you are providing. The children will be likely to realize the privilege of being read to if you treat the reading time as a polite pleasure—something you have enjoyed and learned from also.
