Following on from 7 Things to Notice on the Cover, our latest collection of tips for reading aloud includes nine things to notice inside a picture book when reading with young children – specifically pre-readers and early readers.
Whilst I would never advocate doing any or all of these things every time you read, these strategies help to develop a child’s awareness of print and auditory and visual memory skills, which are important to their future development as independent readers.
And if you really want to have an impact on your future readers, check out our big list of ideas for making your read aloud time the BEST part of your day.
Tips for Reading Aloud: 9 Things To Notice When Reading Picture Books
1. As you read a new-to-you book, pause after a few pages or after a significant event happens in the story, to make observations about what you have read so far, or to ask a question about what is happening in the story.
2. For older children with a new-to-you book, pause after a significant event in the story to ask your child what they think will happen next (developing prediction skills which support comprehension), or what they would do if they found themselves a similar situation to what is unfolding in the story.
3. In picture books, the illustrations are as important as words. Point out interesting details or clues as to what is happening in the story.
4. At the appropriate moment with an already familiar book, pause as an invitation for your child to join you in saying aloud a rhyming word, familiar phrase or chant, for example, “Where is the green sheep?”
5. Ask your child to point to where the words are on a page (as separate to the illustrations). Talk about the words being the part of the book which you read.
6. Point to the words as you read them. This will show your child where you start reading, that you read English from left to right and that there is one word represented on the page for each word that you say.
7. When re-reading already familiar books, point out (or ask your child to point out) any letters which are significant to them, for example, the first letter of their name.
8. For older children, notice a punctuation marks, such as a full stop, question mark or exclamation mark and talk about the purpose of it.
9. Explore the end pages of your picture book. SquiggleMum has a wonderful post about the purpose and possibilities of end pages.
Looking for books to read aloud with your children? Check out these collections: 150+ Picture Books to Read Aloud and 50 Read Aloud Chapter Books. Or visit our Best Books for Kids booklists for themed book suggestions to enjoy with kids of all ages.
Christie Burnett is a teacher, presenter, writer and the mother of two. She created Childhood 101 as a place for teachers and parents to access engaging, high quality learning ideas.
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