Kids are starting to prepare for back to school this month. As you stock up on school supplies, go back to routines and prepare for the fall, don't forget to prepare your child intellectually.
One easy way to get them ready for school is reading aloud. Reading out loud is a necessary skill that will start initiating those higher level thinking skills that may have not been used over the summer.
We all remember making fun of or being the person in class that could not read out loud with tone or speed. Prepare your kids to be ready for that class exercise before school starts. Here are some tips to get you started.
Model Reading Aloud
Kids will be less nervous about reading aloud if they think it is a common occurrence. Read a book aloud to them daily. It can be a chapter book, where you read a chapter a day or one of the smaller books. This helps in two ways. Kids here what tone and inflection is in reading which is a very important skill. They also develop their listening skills, which is essential for success.
Set a time
Put on the schedule a time for reading aloud. It could be after dinner, before bed, early morning, etc. Just make sure your child and you know that at this time, we are spending time together reading aloud.
Take turns
When I was teaching, if I had a child nervous about reading aloud, I would take turns with them. "I will read the first page and you read the second page." You can even split up the page if it is long enough.
Have books available
I know this sounds like it should go without saying, but you will be surprised how many people do not have books for kid laying around their house. Make sure to have them available in a child's reach. You want them to be able to grab them when they want to read.
Reading To You
Have your older children read aloud while you are driving or doing household chores. Make sure you are actively participating by asking questions and showing interest.
These are just a few tips. Be sure to visit the library often and allow your kids to pick the types of books they want. The important aspect is to have them reading the books.
I urge you to take these tips to heart. The first thing a teacher does is try to find your child's reading level after being off from school for the summer. The way they do it is have your child read aloud to them. Get them prepared for success with these simple tips.
