Strategies to Help Children Be Active Participants During “Read Alouds”

On a regular basis your son or daughter will be bringing home books to share.  Here are some ways to guide them as they read or you read to them.

 

 

 

General:

-Select books that you’ll enjoy and that will spark your child’s interest.

-Encourage and acknowledge your child’s comments and questions.

-Share personal reactions.

-Relate concepts to life experiences.

 

 

 

Before Reading:

-Look at the cover and title.  Ask your child to describe the cover and tell what the book might be about.

-Read the dedication to see if it gives any clues to the story or why the author wrote the book.

-Preview the pictures and imagine what the story will be about.

 

 

 

During Reading:

-Determine where and when the story took place.

-Discuss who the characters are and how they are related.

-Discuss the problem the main character is facing.

-Stop at a high suspense point in the story.  Ask your child to predict what will happen next. 

-Ask why he or she thinks that will happen.  Is there a clue from the story?

-Define new words as they arise, or have him/her use context clues to determine meanings.

-Vary your reading aloud techniques.

                *Echo/choral reading

                *Parent reads a paragraph, child reads a paragraph

                *Parent reads a page, child reads a page

                *Parent reads a sentence, but stops at a word or phrase the child knows.

                *Parent and child use different voices and gestures to portray different characters

 

 

 

After Reading:

-Discuss whether or not the story turned out as your child predicted.

-Ask if your child liked the story.  Why or why not?

-Talk about your favorite part.

-Formulate opinions about the characters.

                “What did you like/dislike about the character(s)?”

                “How would you act toward the main character if he/she was your friend?”

                “If you were the main character, what would you have done when…?”

-Together, imagine ways you could change the story (or write a sequel) if you were the author.

-Role play the parts of an interviewer and a character and find out the character’s motives.

-Take time to look at the details in the pictures and retell the story.