It's hard to believe that a little more than a month has past since the last day of school. We have new routines now - getting up when we want to (for some of us) and sliding into the kitchen for that first cup of coffee...oh, I love the summer! I came across an interesting article and wanted to share it. Even though our "soon to be second graders" can read, they can glean so much from hearing you read to them. Children love hearing books read aloud. Mem Fox(one of our author studies last year) wrote some tips on how to become better at reading aloud:
Fourteen Fantastic Hints on Reading Aloud by:
Mem Fox, Queen of Read Aloud
• Ensure your audience sits close to you and close to each other
• Welcome everyone with roving eye-contact on the first couple of lines
• Entice, like a high-powered salesperson, with the first line
• Remember to make the phrases into beautiful, lilting, up & down music
• Paint pictures by visualizing the scenes and the emotions
• Change vocally: high/low; loud/soft; fast/slow
• Speak the verbs (action words) with animation for lively reading
• Fall in love with the pause
• Don’t over-express: it’s embarrassing—just hang loose and have fun
• Don’t be ruled by rhyme endings
• Make the last line v-e-r-y slow indeed
• Say goodbye to everyone with roving eye-contact on the last lines
• Never read anything aloud that you don’t like yourself
• Enjoy yourself and throw yourself into it to stop yourself from being boring!
Read aloud...even in the summer!!
