10 Read-Aloud To-Do’s:
- Make predictions before reading together. Use chapter headings, pictures, or other clues to inform your decisions.
- Activate your child’s background knowledge before and during readings by making connections to self, connections to other books, and connections to the world.
- Model strong questioning skills that dive deeper into the plot of the book.
- Ask your child to close his/her eyes and visualize or create a “mind movie” while you read. Pause and ask what they are picturing in their head. Do they feel a breeze? What is the room in the story like? Is it stuffy and warm, or cool and dry?
- Prompt your child to read certain words as he/she follows along. You may also want to have a scavenger hunt in the book to find certain words, sounds, or blends.
- If you come across a tough vocabulary word, encourage your child to act it out or draw a visual representation of it.
- Leave your child wanting more. If there is a cliffhanger, use it!
- Be sure to mix-up the genres being read. Non-fiction, poetry, historical fiction, fantasy, and so on.
- Encourage your child to read dialogue with you whenever it is appropriate or close to their reading level. Be sure to use silly voices and plenty of expression.
- Ask open-ended questions that lead to deeper discussions, taking time to reflect on what you read.
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