Bedtime Reading Tips

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Bedtime Reading Tips
Compiled by Dianne Ochiltree (Author of LULL-A-BYE, LITTLE ONE)

Reading to a child for just ten minutes a day not only instills an early love of reading, it also offers a rare opportunity for parents to bond with their little ones. But in today’s busy world, how do you make the time? At bedtime! Bedtime is the perfect time to leave the day’s hectic schedule behind, and to share a cuddle along with a book.

The good news: you don’t have to be a professional storyteller to engage your “audience.” To help you get started, here are a few hints that will give you confidence and point you in the right direction:

  1. If you have an active child (and who doesn’t?), why not sing, dance, clap, tap, and otherwise jiggle out all the wiggles first? When your little one is ready for quiet, one-on-one time, bring out the books.
  2. Create the perfect environment for a little ‘we’ time. Make sure that the lights and room temperature are ‘just right.’ Snuggle close with your child as you read together. Invite your little one’s favorite blanket or toy to join you!
  3. Talk about the book. Ask simple questions, such as: “what is the bunny wearing? Was that a silly thing to do? Where do you think the puppy is going?”
  4. Act out the story using different voices for different characters. Use a whisper or loud voice wherever it fits with the story.

Other Helpful Suggestions:

Look for books about things that interest your toddler or preschooler: trucks, insects, dinosaurs, kittens, superheroes…whatever! Find some books that your child can hold and touch. Interactive books, with pop-ups or fuzzy-felt characters, can help with a child’s sensory development.

Choose books that YOU enjoy reading, too. Why not share some of your old favorites from your childhood? Make it fun for you both, and you’ll go a long way toward creating a bond that could last a lifetime!

Picture this: use the book’s pictures to build your child’s vocabulary. Point to objects on the page and name them. If this is a book you’ve read a few times before, ask your child to name some things, too.

Counting fun: you can also use the illustrations to introduce numbers and counting. For example, you might count “blue things” or “round things” on the page.

A chorus line: young children naturally love rhythm, rhyme and repetition. If the story rhymes, ask your child to guess the last word of the next line, or repeat a refrain. Very soon, she may be saying it without prompting at the right point in the story.

Reading to a child for just ten minutes a day not only instills an early love of reading, it also offers a rare opportunity for parents to bond with their little ones. But in today’s busy world, how do you make the time? At bedtime! Bedtime is the perfect time to leave the day’s hectic schedule behind, and to share a cuddle along with a book.

For more information on ways to improve your read-aloud skills and for a list of recommended books to read on the subject, visit www.ochiltreebooks.com.

Source: http://www.ochiltreebooks.com/Bedtime-Reading-Tips~72.aspx

photo credit: http://www.skiptomylou.org/2007/12/20/traditions/

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