Family Reading Tips from Kathleen Deerr - Página 3

How can cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents join in on family reading time?

A fun way to introduce new stories to family reading time is to encourage family members to read a story they loved when they were a child. Young children enjoy when their grandparents read stories they used to read when their children were young. These stories encourage families to talk about what it was like when they were young, and teaches children that reading is an important family activity.

You have given us some great ideas for reading together as a family. Any final thoughts before we rush out to our local libraries or bookstores?

Yes, the holidays are a busy time for every family. With all of the excitement and family obligations, taking time to read together often gets buried on the list of priorities. For a stress relief activity, I recommend parents set aside a few minutes to read with their children. Taking a few minutes to sit down and curl up with a story is one way to slow the pace of the holidays and give your child a few minutes of your undivided attention between events. Both parent and child will savor the time spent together.

More tips for parents: Choosing books for your child Infants: Look for books with clear pictures in bold colors. Choose books with a white background for the illustrations or photos. This will help your infant focus on the pictures you are pointing to. Toddlers: Books for this age range do not need to have a full storyline. Focus on the experience of reading with your child (talking about illustrations, asking questions about what might happen next, etc.). Seamlessly going from the beginning to the end of the book should not be the goal. Making the reading experience interactive will ensure reading together is a positive experience. Preschoolers: Continue to draw your child into the story by asking questions about the characters, pointing out ways the story connects to the illustrations, and relating what is happening in one story with another favorite story that you have read together.

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For more information about Family Place Libraries, go to www.familyplacelibraries.org.