You know that reading aloud to your child is important. You know that you are supposed to read to your child every day. But how do you do it? And what is the right way to read aloud to your baby, toddler, preschooler, middle schooler, and beyond? 

Well, the title of this blog post is a little misleading here. There really ISN’T a ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way to read aloud to your child. Though, if you just grab a book, throw it towards your infant, and say, “Here, read this,” that definitely isn’t going to work very well for you or your baby. 

You might be thinking, “But what if my kid doesn’t like to read with me? What if they don’t like how I read, or what if I don’t always know the words?” Let me put your mind at ease right here. 

Your child doesn’t CARE whether you read slow or fast if you know all the words or have to sound some of them out (or make them up entirely). They don’t look for perfection at all when it comes to reading aloud. And honestly, showing your child that it’s ok to make mistakes and not always know the answer is a fantastic lesson to teach your child! 

Any time that you give them your undivided attention, snuggle close, and read a book together, will be a treasured memory and learning experience for your child. 

However, here are 7 tips and tricks from an early childhood educator and reading specialist about reading aloud with your child.

Choose a Book That Interests Them

To be honest, many times, children will enjoy almost any book that is read aloud to them. However, finding books on topics that you know they will enjoy or books with pictures that will excite them will just enhance the experience even further. 

Many times, babies enjoy short picture books with some rhyme or rhythm. Books that they can feel and touch are also big hits for babies. Make sure you are using board books when you are doing read alouds with infants and young toddlers. They LOVE putting anything in their mouth, including books, and it is a great way to get babies interested and excited about reading. Putting things in their mouth is how they learn and explore!

Babies also love lift-the-flaps books or touch-and-feel books. These encourage their natural desire to touch and feel everything in front of them and make the read aloud just that much more fun. 

For older children around the preschool age, books with repetition or short stories they can memorize and recite back are big hits! This is also a good time to read lots of ABC books and start talking about letters and letter sounds. 

Kids starting around the preschool age often have a lot of budding interests. Make sure to lean into those topics that fascinate them! This includes their favorite movies or TV shows. If your child is interested in something, find a book about it (or 2 or 10!)! They will love reading and rereading these books over and over again!

As your child grows and becomes a reader themselves, that is no reason to stop reading aloud together. Instead, continue finding books on topics they enjoy or reread old favorites together. 

The library is a fantastic source for finding books to read, so make sure to take advantage of that amazing resource!  

Find a Comfy Reading Position

Reading with your child should be an enjoyable experience for both of you! So make sure you choose a comfy spot where you can cuddle and experience that book together. 

Many times, reading in bed is the comfiest place in any home. However, laying on the floor, sitting on a couch, or even reading on a blanket outside can be lots of fun! 

Don’t Rush It

When sitting down with your child to read with them, take a deep breath and relax. This is a special time with your child, and you don’t want to rush it. 

This time is great for both building your bond with your child and creating a solid foundation for their early reading skills. 

You probably have a million things you need to get done, like all parents do, but for these 20 or 30 minutes, just focus on the task ahead. These memories together will last you a lifetime. 

Be Interactive

One great thing about reading aloud with your child is that you can make it interactive! Point at pictures and ask them questions about the book. Use funny voices for different characters or make up silly melodies for books that have lyrics. 

Anything you do to get your child pointing, laughing, or talking about the book is only going to benefit them in their future reading and talking skills. And it will make it even more fun!

Another great way to interact with the book is to find ways to relate what’s happening in the book with something your child has experience with. For example, “Oh look, they are going to a park. Remember yesterday when we went to a park together and went down that big slide?” This helps your child connect ideas from books with events in their life, which is a very powerful skill. 

Make It a Habit

Reading aloud is such an important part of your child’s reading success that it’s important to find a time within your schedule each day to read together. 

The most obvious choice is to read before bed. This is a great way to connect and relax with your child before putting them to bed. Even though they are building reading skills during the read aloud, they are also building connection and security with you. This is important and helps to strengthen your bond with your child. 

You can also find time to read right away in the morning or any other time that works for your family. Do whatever works for you, and make sure to make it a habit each day. 

Add Literacy Skills When Your Child is Ready

As your child gets older, feel free to start adding some light teaching while reading aloud. Teaching them the letters of their name and having them search for those letters on the page is a great place to start. 

Pointing to each word as you read them is also a great way to add literacy skills to your read aloud. When they are ready, you can even start looking for different words or find rhymes together in the books you read. 

It is a fun and easy way to start building some of those early reading concepts. 

Make it Fun 

No matter how you read or what you read, the most important part of reading aloud is making it fun. This will look different for each parent and for each child, but it is essential for creating successful future readers. 

Don’t waste any time worrying about whether you are doing it right or if your child will like it. Even if they are running around the room screaming and laughing about something completely different, you are still creating memories together around books. 

While not every read-aloud time is going to be magical, and your child might not always sit still for an entire book, it is still so important for your child to have fun and continue reading together. 

Reading Aloud Creates Lifelong Benefits For Your Child and You

Participating in read alouds is such an important part of your child’s future reading success, and it is not something that should be ignored. 

Some of the major benefits of reading aloud are: 

• Improved vocabulary and communication skills
• Better reading skills
• Enhanced comprehension, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills
• A desire to learn more
• A healthier attachment to caregiver
• The deepened ability to empathize with others
• And so many more!

While there isn’t one right way to do a read aloud, making time for reading aloud is an essential part of your child’s future success. 

So go out there, dig up some books, and start reading!