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There’s a saying that goes, “Children are made readers on the laps of their parents”. Whether you are a parent, reading helper or teacher, reading aloud with a child is one of the best ways to develop a love of reading in young children. It’s also one of the most beneficial activities that you can incorporate into a child’s everyday routine, especially in the early years of a child’s life.

We asked educational consultant, Renee Lighton, to share three of her top tips that you can use to help your child get the most out of reading aloud.

• Read with expression

Perhaps practice reading the book before you read with your class or child. Make sure you read with expression and that you are familiar with all of the vocabulary. Children respond best when stories are read with enthusiasm and excitement. Ensure that tone and expression alternate between characters and situation.

• Ask questions

Take a pause in your reading activity – ask your child or class what they think the story is about and why. What are the clues?

Engaging ensures that concentration does not wonder.

Further engage by asking if they can relate to any of the characters? Ask your child if they have ever been in the same or similar situation as one or more of the characters – how did they deal with the situation?

• Act out the story

If you are an educator, get the class involved by randomly selecting different members of the class to act out different characters. For example, if you have just finished reading Little Red Riding Hood – choose a learner to act out his/ her perception of Little Red Riding Hood, or to act out the Big Bad Wolf etc.

Reading aloud is the perfect opportunity to connect, engage and most importantly, to have fun! A positive experience reading aloud will do wonders in developing and encouraging a love of reading, setting a child up for academic success in the future.