10 Read-Aloud To-Do's:

10 Read-Aloud To-Do’s:

1. Make predictions before reading together. Use chapter headings, pictures, or other clues to inform your decisions.
2. Activate your child’s background knowledge before and during readings by making connections to self, connections to other books, and connections to the world.
3. Model strong questioning skills that dive deeper into the plot of the book.
4. 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?
5. 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.
6. If you come across a tough vocabulary word, encourage your child to act it out or draw a visual representation of it.
7. Leave your child wanting more. If there is a cliffhanger, use it!
8. Be sure to mix-up the genres being read. Non-fiction, poetry, historical fiction, fantasy, and so on.
9. 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.  
10. Ask open-ended questions that lead to deeper discussions, taking time to reflect on what you read.