How to Read Creatively and Artfully: Making the Most of your Story Reading and Sharing Experiences
In my previous post, How do you Help your Children Build a Rich Vocabulary Day by Day, I mentioned and explained some of the ways to help our little ones develop their literacy and language skills. These are:
Use oral-storytelling.
Pull words from picture books.
Sing songs and nursery rhymes.
Her comment, together with the comments of @sarahdandridge, @ryl and @udywriter (all three are mothers) has inspired me to follow on my articles that relate to reading, language and vocabulary.
Susan B. Neuman, an early literacy expert and a professor of early childhood studies at the University of Michigan, and whose research study I used as a reference in my previous post, urges us to regard that books can be the "great connector" between children's personal worlds and those of the other children. When two or more children enjoy a book together, this shared experience works as a starting point to inquire, investigate and discover their own lives. From this experience, children learn more and understand their own experiences, listen to other children about their experiences, and then explore how those experiences of the other children differ from their own.
As adults and grown-ups, how can you relate to these little ones, or vice versa, how can children relate to you? How can their world be connected to your world with simple story or book reading? How can you make the most of your story sharing experience with the young children?
Before you read the book to your children, read the book at least once beforehand, so that there will be no "surprises" that might cause you to trip up as you read. It will also prepare you and help you in what approach you will take in reading the story. 
Introduce the book. Help them explore their imagination and creativity by having them guess what they think the book might be about just by looking at the book cover together. This also helps them explore and develop their language skills.
Be animated!!! You may feel a little self-conscious doing this, but once you see your children are so engaged and are having fun, you will also enjoy reading the story. So, make use of everything - facial expressions, hand motions, special sounds of animals (when there are animal characters in the story), change voice tones from one page to the next - by doing this, you are also inviting children to become a part of the story with you.
You can also involve them and get them to participate in your story reading. Give them a line to repeat after you, or a hand motion (for example, a "thumbs-up" every time they hear a "yes", or "open palms" when they hear the word "stop"), or a sound effect that they can add or make at the appropriate time (for example, a whooshing sound for wind, or tapping of hands and stomping of feet for running).
Help your children "see" the story. Don't rush in turning the pages of the book. Have the children look at the pictures or illustration in each page to allow them to see how through those drawings, the characters of the story are described. Ask questions before turning the page to also build up the excitement and anticipation of what's coming next.
Encourage children to use their senses. Invite them to imagine not only the sights, but also the smells, tastes, sounds, physical sensations in the story, as well as the emotions. Using this book "Stop and Smell the Roses" as an example, you may ask the children, "Can you pretend to smell the roses? What does it smell like? Can you pretend to touch the stem? Is it prickly or thorny?" When you stop and ask the children to use their senses, you are also helping them explore each part of the story.
Once finished, discuss what you have read. Children just love to talk about a book that you have just read. Now refer to my older post, Teaching Techniques: Learn the Art of Asking Questions to learn about using creative questions to encourage your children's critical and in-depth thinking.
References:
Church, E.B. (2006). Reading Aloud Artfully. Early Childhood Today: The Magazine for Early Childhood Professionals, February 2007, Vol. 21, No. 4. Scholastic Inc.: New York, NY
Neuman, S. (2007). Communicating Through Writing. Early Childhood Today: The Magazine for Early Childhood Professionals, February 2007, Vol. 21, No. 4. Scholastic Inc.: New York, NY
Related Posts:
- How do you Help your Children Build a Rich Vocabulary Day by Day? (April 11, 2018)
- Teaching Techniques: Learn the Art of Asking Questions (March 5, 2018)
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Great info. You also reminded me of the importance of reading to my kids more. I have twins growing up in Japan, so it is very important that they learn English and absorb it everyday. I'm gonna explore other posts you mentioned. Thank you, I Shall resteem so I can re-read.
Thank you for your feedback and resteem. Yes, it is important that children are immersed with the English language if you want them to learn to read, understand and speak it more fluently. I am saying it based on my own learning experience. English is only my second language but reading English books and also watching English movies, apart from the formal learning at school, have really helped me with my English communication and comprehension skills.
After doing all thing you wrote, I am going to let my kids to listen story everyday. I think listening is the best way for them to speak English.
Sangat mengesankan, semoga sukses selalu menyertai kita
Terima kasih banyak. Saya sangat menghargainya. Saya menggunakan Google Translate untuk komentar ini.
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Thanks!
Bravo, another quality and helpful content.
I was away from my kids for two years before, from then on I have forgotten how to be a tutor-mom to them. My patience runs out very quickly and I figure it was because I no longer have the knowledge to interact with them.Thanks @evlachsblog you're tips are very simple and easy to follow yet effective.
Thank you for your feedback. I don't have a child yet, but I feel you. If I were to put myself in your shoes, I would have felt the same way, feeling like I am unable to connect or relate to them being apart for that long. But hey, just continue doing what you're doing, spending every bit of quality time with them, and making the most out of everything to shower them with your love and care.
As for their literacy and language skills development, there are also other ways that you can do whilst spending every quality time with them. For example, before you go shopping, involve them with your planning, such as writing down the list of things that you need to buy from the supermarket. Even their numeracy skills can be further developed by involving counting, adding or subtracting when buying your grocery goods. Like, "how many eggs do we need to fill up the tray?" or, "What is 10 pesos take away 5pesos?" On your way to the shop, familiarise them with the street signs that they commonly see. Everything around us is full of opportunities for holistic development of our children.
But don't be too hard on yourself. I know that parents can only do so much. All we can do is try to instil the love for learning in our children, and we pray to God that they will not depart from our teachings.
Whoaa, my second kid loves writing down the grocery list and the eldest checking what we lack from looking at fridge and the kitchen cabinets. I haven't involved them in that activity for a few months now.
We will do that again ..thanks much :)
That's great. Grocery shopping will be so much more fun from now on (as long as they will only list down the necessities!!! :)
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