Choosing a Read-aloud Book

by Teresa McEntire | More from this Blogger

Choosing the right book can make all the difference in how much your child enjoys the time you spend reading aloud to him.

Choosing a Book for Young Children · Book selections for this age group should focus on stimulating sight and hearing. · Choose books with simple black and white pictures then move to colorful pictures. · Rhyming books are important because it helps develop the ability to rhyme, which is essential to becoming a good reader. · Books that contain repetition or are predictable are also good choices. · Choose books that the child can relate to, usually everyday events. · Books that focus on colors, animals, shapes, letters, and numbers are usually good choices. · Your child may have a favorite book, read it, and then introduce something new.

Choosing a Book for School-age Children · Always read a book yourself, before reading it aloud to your child. · Consider the emotional and intellectual level of your child and never choose above a child's emotional level. Occasionally you can read above their intellectual level and challenge them. · Avoid long descriptive passages until your child is older. Mark these passages during your preread and skip or paraphrase them as you are reading. · Readers often identify with the characters. So read books with messages about how to handle problems or that feature experiences that your child is having. · Read non-fiction books about subjects that interests them. My son loves dinosaurs so we read many dinosaur books. · Avoid books that are heavy with dialogue. It is hard for a listener to distinguish who is speaking. · Don't read a book if your child has seen the movie. It won't keep their attention. · A book that has won a reward isn't necessarily a good read-aloud. · Read books that match your child's preferences--mystery, science fiction, adventure, but occasionally choose something new. · You can still read picture books. Many picture books are long with higher-level dialogue.

Here are links to a couple of websites that list good choices for read-alouds by age: http://www.bookitfamilies.com/what.html http://nancykeane.com/rl/#Readalouds

To read my blog on why it is important to read aloud to school-age children click on the link: http://blogs.families.com/parenting.php?title=reading_aloud_to_grade_school_children&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1

Learn more about Teresa McEntire

Teresa McEntire grew up in Utah the oldest of four children. She currently lives in Kuna, Idaho, near Boise. She and her husband Gene have been married for almost ten years.

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