Reading to Your Child

The day is drawing to a close. The light is golden, the shadows long. A
small someone, bathed and ready for bed, curls up on your lap. You reach
for a book.

“Once upon a time there was a Mother Pig with three Little Pigs…
Small hands push at the page, wanting the story to move along. You skip
parts of the tale, stopping at pictures. “See the first little pig?” you
ask. A finger touches the page. “I see a wolf,” you say. “Where’s that
old wolf?” The finger rests on the wolf.

You leapfrog through the story, pointing out the house of sticks, the
house of bricks. But you never miss the wonderful refrain, “Little Pig,
Little Pig, let me come in.” “No, no, not by the hair on my chinny chin
chin.”

Are you actually “reading” to your child? You certainly are. You are
quite sensibly adapting the material to the understanding of your
listener. As your child grows, the short span of attention typical of
the young child will lengthen. You will read more and more of the story
until, in time, you can read it all. After that, make no mistake, you
will not be able to skip one word of a much-loved tale.

Why Should I Read to My Child?

Reading to your child is a wonderful way to share a close, loving
relationship, for it is a time of pleasure for both of you. Your child
is fortunate indeed if you read aloud, for he or she is also learning
that a book holds a world of wonder and enjoyment.

At the same time, your child is learning that those strange black lines
on the page are the source of the words you speak and that someday he or
she will be able to read those words. He or she is also discovering that
you are reading from left to right and from top to bottom. And think
about the pictures your child studies so intently. The realization that
the flat apple on the page represents a real, rounded apple he or she
can hold is an enormous leap in comprehension.

Story time also provides opportunities to improve vocabulary and develop
readiness for reading. Study after study has shown the connection
between reading to children and their success in acquiring basic reading
skills. So, while you are reading, talk with your child about the story.
And answer your child’s questions about letters, sounds, and words.

When Should I Start Reading to My Child?

No child is too young to be read to. Many informed educators recommend
reading short, simple rhymes to infants only a few weeks old. Your baby
may not understand your words, but he or she will enjoy hearing your
voice and feeling your loving touch.

A few simple suggestions may prove helpful: If a story has some
particular meaning for your child, he or she will often sit still for a
far longer time than you might expect. Remember, also, that all children
like to go back to the familiar from time to time. This desire is
reflected in the poems and stories they choose. There is no “right” or
“wrong.” There are only your child’s interests.

Birth-2: Read the Mother Goose rhymes in this volume. Your baby will
respond to the rhythm of the words and the sound of your voice. Play
with your child’s hands, fingers, or toes as you read “Pat-a-Cake” or
“This Little Pig Went to Market.” This is fun for your baby and will
soon draw smiles. These happy responses establish a pattern for later
learning experiences.

Ages 2-3: Continue to read nursery rhymes, but try some of the
simple stories in this volume, too. Make good use of the pictures. If
necessary, shorten the tales or “read” them in your own words: “Look.
Here’s the Baby Bear. Here is his bowl of porridge. And here is
Goldilocks. She ate the porridge . . . all . . . up.” As you talk or
read, point to the characters and objects in the pictures.

Ages 3-5: Now you will be able to read complete stories. Most
children in this age group will sit still long enough to hear a short
folk tale or fairy tale, such as “The Gingerbread Boy” or “Why the Bear
Has a Stumpy Tail.” You should also try some of the easy picture book
stories in Volume 2, such as Mother, Mother, 1 Want Another and Frog
and Toad.

And don’t overlook poetry. The stories and poems on pages 175-311 are so
arranged that the poems following each story pick up the theme of the
story. For example, Whistle for Willie, about a small boy who wants to
be able to whistle for his dog, is followed by poems about whistling and
dogs.

This is a good time to use the section “Things to Know” following the
nursery rhymes. Here you will find rhymes about many of the concepts
you’ll want your child to understand before opening day of
kindergarten- the alphabet, numbers from 1 to 10, days of the week,
months of the year, colors, and the time of day.

Ages 5-7: Now is the time to look for stories with a more complex
turn of plot. Cinderella is such a story. So are Jack and the
Beanstalk and Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears. Stories that are
too long to be read at one sitting, such as the excerpts from Peter
Pan and Pinocchio, can be read a few pages at a time. Look for poems,
too, that connect with your child’s special interests.

Ages 7 and Up: At seven, most children can read easy stories such as
those at the front of Volume 2. But this does not mean that you should
stop reading aloud to your child. In fact, it is most important that you
continue. Reading aloud gives you a chance to whet your child’s appetite
for some of the great classics for children, such as those toward the
end of Volume 2 and in Volume 3.

How to Read Aloud

You don’t have to be an actor or actress, or even a great reader, to
read to your child. Your child wants your attention and will respond to
your love and interest. Even so, anyone can do some simple things to add
to the excitement and appeal of a story or poem. Make loud sounds loud,
soft sounds soft. Growl when you read the words of the big bad Wolf.
Your child will delight in your entry into the world of play.

A Final Word

Before you read any story or poem to your child, read it, or at least
skim it, yourself. Ask yourself: Will this interest my child? Will he or
she understand what is happening? What might I have to explain? Is this
a good bedtime story, or should I read it at some other time?

Which brings up the question: When is the best time to read aloud?
Anytime. And try to make reading aloud to your child a daily activity.
Of course, bedtime is a favorite time because reading a story then helps
to end the day on a calm, happy note. It is also a time that daddy can
share with his little one. And for working parents, it may be the only
time available. Whatever the time, enjoy it. Know that reading to your
child is the gift of a lifetime. That gift will become part of your
child’s bank of memories, one that will be treasured long after
childhood has passed.