WRAD- Get Excited! Part 2: Families

 Happy WRAD! February 3rd is World Read Aloud Day and everyone is enjoying this day of reading together! In my first post in this mini-blog series, I shared valuable strategies and quick tips with teachers to get started with, or how to improve read aloud time. As a teacher, mastering the art of the read aloud takes practice, and we have methodology and pedagogy behind us to support our reading. Families often have no experience at all...

My second blog post will share with families some simple points for how to complete a read aloud at home. For those families who have read aloud to their children before, I hope these tips will serve as quick reminders and enhance the experience! 

-Book selection: Be sure to select a book your child likes. Include him/her in the selection process to ensure he/she will enjoy it. If you're not sure of what types of books your child likes, simply ask! Students often remember what they are reading in school, so they. might discuss those books. Reach out to your child's teacher to get more information, and see what is being read aloud in class. It's great when families mirror the unit, lesson, strategy or skill at home along with the teacher to reinforce learning! Another great resource to look at Scholastic's website to see what books your child likes from there. There are grade level flyers to shop from and even samples of some of the books! Scholastic is also very reasonably priced, so ordering books will be easy and not break the bank! 

-Practice before the big moment: This. might seem unnecessary, however, just like I recommend to my teachers to practice reading the book, I also advise family members to do the same. The more familiar the adults are, the better we can all model fluency, word attack skills, and allow the student to focus on the story itself. 

-Consider previewing new or challenging words: Teachers call this a vocabulary preview, and most teachers do this automatically before reading a new book. Knowing the meaning of challenging words a head of time will help your child understand the story easier. You may also choose to teach the words as they come, modeling using context clues and pictures to help determine the meaning. 

-Allow readers to read!: That's right! If your child wants to chime in (very often happens with rhyming, poetry, and books with repetition) allow them to take the helm of the read aloud! The main goal is to get them to love a story, and want to read, so do not silence them when they want to read with you. You can make it more interactive by having your child take turns reading pages. If you choose this, be sure to pause and ask him/her questions to check for understanding. 

- Voice: This is acting at it's best! Be sure to practice a narrator and character voice (much like teachers do) so you are reading with expression. This also adds a layer of dynamics to the book characters if you're reading fiction. For non-fiction, be sure to use inflection in your voice at appropriate times to make content memorable. 

-Have fun!: To me, this is the most important element. You do not have to be a teacher, actor, or public speaker to read aloud to your child. All you need is enthusiasm, interest, and emotion. The rest will fall in place from there. If there isn't an element of fun, you aren't passing along the love of reading. 

-Questions: At the end, don't hesitate to ask your child questions about the book to check for understanding. Discussing how the book is relevant and meaningful will ensure he/she remembers it long after the last page is turned! 

Final Thoughts: Keep infusing reading into your daily home life, keep modeling reading to your child, keep encouraging him or her to read, and most of all... keep having fun with reading! 

Enjoy WRAD!!