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Tips and Strategies for Reading Aloud

Using tips and strategies for reading aloud, educators should model an enthusiasm for books and reading. Both educators and, ultimately, parents, play an important role in ensuring that their young preschoolers are engaged during read-aloud time.

Tips on how to read aloud

Think about your speaking style. If you know you speak fast, for example, make an effort to slow down when you read. Conversely, speeding up a bit if you tend to speak and read slowly can help keep your child interested. Read with expression, buy, stay within your comfort zone. If you feel uncomfortable trying something new, your child will be too.

If you find that your child loses interest, feel free to skip paragraphs, paraphrase, or in some cases, stop. Remember, the goal is to make your sessions fun and enjoyable. You can always come back to that story at another time if you think it’s worth it.

Other reading aloud tips to keep you interested

• Invite your partner to guess what will happen next.
• Provide a repeated word or phrase
• Share turns reading if he or she can and is comfortable reading aloud.
• Vary the length of the story and the type of book.
• Allow the wigglers to move across the floor as you read (as long as they are quiet and attentive)
• Invite restless preschoolers to draw or solve a puzzle while you read.

Invite children who want to participate in reading aloud to do so, but don’t require them to “say it out loud” or “practice reading silently.” Instead, she is modeling an enthusiasm for books and reading for her little preschoolers.

Tips for choosing to read aloud

• When choosing books, find a balance between following children’s preferences and inviting some of them to try new kinds of books. Some children can never listen to too many dinosaur stories, others may love fairy books. Follow her lead, but also introduce an occasional book of a different kind to expand children’s horizons and spark new interests. Say “Sounds like a good story. Let’s try it!” This may be the beginning of exciting new discoveries. However, if children express their disappointment, either verbally or through body language, move on to something else.
• Also try to read books that talk about different family ethnic backgrounds or family situations. Use the background of your ELLs (English Language Learners) as a guide. It’s reassuring to hear about people from your own ethnic group. It is also interesting, of course, to hear about other towns and places.
• Feel free to repeat children’s favorite stories. By listening to a story over and over again, soon even a young child can “read” it by heart and feel like a reader.
• From time to time, read stories outside your child’s range of abilities. Younger children enjoy listening to books beyond their own reading skills, and older preschoolers enjoy checking out a good book, even if it’s well below their ability or age level.
• Expand your options beyond the common opinions of “boy” and “girl” books. Interesting and well-written stories will capture the attention of children, regardless of the theme or the gender of the central character.

Tips for teaching reading aloud: what to avoid

• Be careful reading scary stories until you know the child well enough to assess whether he or she would enjoy them. Many five-year-olds and older children like the ghoulish, but others are really traumatized by certain stories. Be especially careful with frightening illustrations. Adults often remember being really scared in childhood by a picture in a book.
• Keep an eye out for TV or movie versions of good children’s books. Some media versions can be too violent and unengaging for a young reader.

Remember, good read-alouds should encourage early literacy, so you’ll want to model your enthusiasm for books and reading for children. Continue to create engaging and engaging literacy experiences that nurture a child’s growth as a reader and writer.