by Debra Orado

We are in the midst of a Maine summer when the days are long and the fun in the sun seems endless.  We all need a bit of respite. When you arrive back home after an afternoon of playing hard and you have had a nap and then some delicious dinner a good story always hits the spot.  Gather everyone young and old and settle in for a family read aloud.  

Besides entertaining the family read aloud has many benefits. It is a time when we can bond with our children and interact with them around a shared experience. We let our guard down and make sound effects and take on the personas of the characters we are reading about.  

We also find ourselves thinking about the characters and then about ourselves. How would we have handled that situation, what would we have said to that person, do we identify with the character?  So many discussions play out during reading that can otherwise seem contrived or awkward. Our children learn about themselves and others and can apply what they learn to real life situations. 

Reading a story together also stirs the creative juices and allows us to go to imaginary places or on adventures together not to mention the laughter and giggles some stories elicit. You are also  modeling language and literacy skills which all children benefit from.

If a family read aloud is not part of your routine, it is easy to get started.  Here are some of my tips. 

Just Get Started If you have babies or young children, start early, make reading a part of your bedtime routine. Once you start the habit as a family, they will make it a part of their nighttime ritual as they get older.  If your children are older, just start, don’t worry about the fact that it is not a habit, it will become one when you set aside the time to read and enjoy a story together.

Read the Pictures. Use the “whole book approach” to reading a picture book.  This approach was created by Megan Dowd Lambert in conjunction with the Eric Carle Picture Book Museum in Massachusetts.  Using this method, you are reading with children and not to them. When you  talk to children about the images and text in a book it allows them to make meaning of the story for themselves. Picture books are works of art. When you and your child look closely at the images, color choice, and design of the pages it deepens the meaning of what the author is trying to convey.

Slow Down. It is our tendency to try to get through the story and put our children to bed, but I urge you to hit the pause button and linger over the words and images.  Ignite discussion and share your memories and thoughts about what you are visualizing or what you have read as a child yourself. This helps build connections for your children between the written word and the world around them.  

You will not regret starting this habit. If you are not able to do it every night don’t give up, try it again. You will come to cherish this time just as your children do.  

Here are some of my favorite suggestions for reading aloud. For more ideas please stop by the children’s room.