Ten Ways to Make Reading Fun

Reading aloud can be a lot of fun, not just for parents but for all family members.

Here are some ways to get the most out of reading to your young child:

1. Read with drama and excitement, using different voices for different characters in the story.
2. Use your child’s name instead of a character’s name.
3. Make puppets and use them to act out a story.
4. Re-read your child’s favourite stories as many times as they want to hear them, and choose books and authors that your child enjoys.
5. Read stories that have repetitive parts and encourage your child to join in.
6. Point to words as you read them. This will help your child make a connection between the words they hear you say and the words on the page.
7. Read all kinds of material – stories, poems, information books, magazine, newspaper articles, and comics.
8. Encourage relatives and friends to give your child books as gifts.
9. Take your child to the library and look at interactive CDs and the Internet as well as books.
10. Subscribe to a magazine for your child. They will love receiving mail!