Susan Oakes, M.L.S. has been involved in public education for over 30 years. She created and coordinated the early childhood literacy program at the Arapahoe Library District, which has been running for almost 9 years. She is also the Read Aloud Program Coordinator for the Denver Public Library.
Q:
Does reading aloud help children become better readers?
A:
Yes!! You can incorporate these six skills while reading aloud to your children:
Print Motivation: Share your love of books and reading - it will be contagious for your children; always read books that you enjoy.
Print Awareness: Point out signs wherever you are; run your finger under the title as you read it; have your child turn the pages of the book; babies will put books in their mouths - choose board books that you can wipe clean.
Vocabulary: Books offer so many opportunities for adding rich vocabulary to your child's word bank. Nonfiction books contain words we don't often use in normal conversation.
Narrative Skills: Help your child to become the storyteller - focus on the beginning, middle, and end of a story; or the beginning, problem, and resolution in others. Have them say phrases that are repeated in a story; telling a family story is another good way to encourage your child to tell stories.
Phonological Awareness: Recognizing rhymes in words develops by age four; reading simple poetry and funny books with rhyme helps your child to hear the rhyming patterns of words.
Letter Knowledge: Children learn alphabet letters in different ways: start with your child's name; learning about shapes helps with discrimination of letter shapes. Help them to draw letters in the air; make them out of play dough. Fill a pan with corn meal and write the letters with their pointer finger. Always make the sound of the letter as well as saying the name of it.
The most important thing to remember is to have FUN! If you are having fun, so will your child.