Getting Children to Comment and Question During Read Aloud
Dads should welcome children's comments and ideas at any time during a read aloud session, not only at the end of a book. Being active can increase children's understanding, enjoyment and learning.
Remember that 'Reading aloud is a journey, not a race'. To make this journey longer, more valuable and more enjoyable, we adults should not be the only ones talking just because we are the only ones reading aloud. The key point is: Being active can increase children's understanding, enjoyment and learning.
Children's Comments
Dads should welcome children's comments and ideas at any time during a read aloud session, not only at the end of a book. Sometimes, these comments seem completely unrelated to the book. This shows that every reader reacts differently to the same book. Children's reactions provide a wonderful window onto their minds.
When children make comments, dads may want to put the book aside for a bit and journey down this new path where the children have pointed. Then, they can return to the book with phrases such as:
a. Let's see what happens next
b. On the next page, …
c. Now …
d. Getting back to the story, …
e. OK, let's continue
Dads can also use gestures, such as putting a finger across their lips, looking down at the book, or point to where in the book they are going to begin to read again.
Children's questions
Dads want to encourage children to ask questions and to welcome their questions when they are asked. Children's questions can be on something that they do not understand, or questions can be on something the children want to know more about. Sometimes, the questions will have nothing to do with the book. Those are okay too, sometimes. Children's questions tell us a good deal about what they know and how they view the world.
Of course, dads will not always be able to answer children's questions. No worries. It is fine to admit that they do not know. This provides us an opportunity to talk about how to find out. For instance, dads and the children can go to the library to look for answers in encyclopedias or in other books, or look at online resources. In this way, children's questions become great motivators for additional reading and for teaching information search skills.
Children's Comments
Dads should welcome children's comments and ideas at any time during a read aloud session, not only at the end of a book. Sometimes, these comments seem completely unrelated to the book. This shows that every reader reacts differently to the same book. Children's reactions provide a wonderful window onto their minds.
When children make comments, dads may want to put the book aside for a bit and journey down this new path where the children have pointed. Then, they can return to the book with phrases such as:
a. Let's see what happens next
b. On the next page, …
c. Now …
d. Getting back to the story, …
e. OK, let's continue
Dads can also use gestures, such as putting a finger across their lips, looking down at the book, or point to where in the book they are going to begin to read again.
Children's questions
Dads want to encourage children to ask questions and to welcome their questions when they are asked. Children's questions can be on something that they do not understand, or questions can be on something the children want to know more about. Sometimes, the questions will have nothing to do with the book. Those are okay too, sometimes. Children's questions tell us a good deal about what they know and how they view the world.
Of course, dads will not always be able to answer children's questions. No worries. It is fine to admit that they do not know. This provides us an opportunity to talk about how to find out. For instance, dads and the children can go to the library to look for answers in encyclopedias or in other books, or look at online resources. In this way, children's questions become great motivators for additional reading and for teaching information search skills.
Use the feedback form below to submit your comments.
Use the form below to email this article to your friends.
- Teach Your Child To Love Reading
- Why You Should Read To Your Child
- Children Reading Aloud With Us
- Give Children a Choice for Read-Aloud Books
- Teaching Reading - 3 Simple Ways To Teach Your Child To Read
- Learning To Read: Why You Should Give Your Child Reading Lessons
- Reading Programs: Does your child need one to learn to read?
- Expose your child to the written word
- Let's Read! The Benefits of Reading to Your Children
- How Do You Read to a Child When You Can't Always Be There?
- Encourage Children to Select Variety of Books to Read Aloud
- Social and Emotional Reasons for Dads to Read Aloud to their Children
- Teach your child phonological awareness
- Teach Your Child The Alphabet
- Reading to Older Kids in School, Part 1
- Guide for Dads: Never too Late to Start Reading Aloud
- Guide for Dads: Reading Aloud to Older Kids
- Learning To Read: Reading Tips for Parents of Preschoolers
- Everyday Phonics for Successful Reading
- Dr. Seuss Hits the Road to Promote Reading Across America
- Why is Reading Important?
- Importance of Reading
- Classic Books Everyone Should Read
- Good Books to Read
- Helping Children Read
- Creative Reading
- Reading Skills and Strategies
- Teacher's Reading Program Receives National Recognition
- The Reading Habit