How To Help?

When I spend time with parents, I’m asked how to help.

My answer includes asking how much reading aloud is done at home.

And I’m asking about reading stories that are beyond the child’s reading level.

I ask for a reason.

The richer the words a child hears, the richer the words that come back from the child. Either in speech or writing.

Written words are far more structured and complicated than words spoken in conversation.

Consider that for a moment.

We don’t speak to each other in conversation in the same way we express a written story.

Conversation is an abbreviated, clipped way of speaking.

Children who hear the most quality language have an advantage.

Hearing rich language produces rich language skills.

That’s the reason I encourage parents to read aloud to their children.

This book, Read-Aloud Handbook, Eighth Edition, edited and revised by Cyndi Giorgis, is the source I recommend to parents. Half of the book explains reading aloud. The thinking behind it. The benefits that come from it. The last half of the book is a giant treasury of books that are great to read-aloud. The treasury is organized by age and interest.

So many things can happen when reading great stories to your kids. There’s an opportunity for re-telling the story. There are people to be studied. There are choices to be discussed. There’s new vocabulary to learn. There are values that can be taught.