Reading A Book Aloud with Your Child
First, look at the book with your child and ask he/she to to look at
the illustrations and predict what the story is about and what will
happen in the story. Then read the book aloud with your child: 1)
listening to enjoy the story and beauty of the words; and 2) looking
at the pages to follow the text as you point to the words and/or to
watch how the illustrations match and build understanding of the story.
Second, re-read the book at a pace that is just right for your child to follow the print with his/her index finger or with an unsharpened specially chosen pencil for a pointer as you read aloud. This way the child starts to make the association between the words being heard and the print that represents those words. Read with lots of expression being sure to pause at exciting moments. A good thinking skills prompt at an exciting moment in the story is to ask your child, "If you were the author, what would you write to tell what happens next?"
Third, stop to talk after reading each page. Ask your child to retell what he/she heard being read, what's happening in the story, and/or what he/she liked in the book so far (and why?). As you are reading together, have your child turn the pages as one way to keep focus on when all the words of a page have been read.
Fourth, when you have finished the read aloud time, invite your child to draw a picture or sketch about the pages you have read together. You can join in, too, and make a sketch of your favorite part. Help your child put words to his/her picture and re-read those words with you. I welcome your child to bring any pictures from a story to school to share with the class.