Even in the womb, a baby can hear your voice and begin to associate it with you. As a newborn, your baby will love hearing the sound of your voice and will also learn the cadence of language.
Consider a nightly bath, pajamas, a story, and then bed. Try to do the same routine each night at about the same time. [1] X Research source Feel free to adjust the story to fit your baby’s mood. You can skip over certain parts, paraphrase the action in the pictures, or act out the story. [2] X Research source
Some great English-language bedtime stories for babies include Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown, Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson, and Time for Bed by Mem Fox. [3] X Research source
Take your child to the library and let them choose several picture books to bring home. For a child who is new to books, choose just two or three books; children who love story time and want a different book each night should get five to ten. When it is time for a bedtime story, let your child choose from the library books. You can also let your child choose from books in your home library, if you have one. Alternately, if your child needs a bit of help with choosing, narrow it down to two or three books and then let your child choose.
Reading the same story multiple times can help your children gain fluency with words and increase their confidence and comprehension skills as they grow into independent readers. [4] X Research source Kids learn from repetition. Reading the same book over and over can help to increase your child’s vocabulary. [5] X Trustworthy Source PubMed Central Journal archive from the U. S. National Institutes of Health Go to source Reading a familiar book is also a great way for a child to wind down at the end of the day. Their favorite books are comforting and soothing and can help ease them into a sleepy state.
If your child is old enough and has a good attention span, you might try reading 2 short picture books every night. Let your child choose one, and you choose the other. You can also liven up story time by using finger puppets, cloth puppets, or varying the voices of the characters.
Most children’s picture books are around thirty pages; for this age group, look for books that do not have dense paragraphs of text but rather just a few lines on every page. Some good titles for two to five year old children include What! Cried Granny by Kate Lum, The Napping House by Audrey Wood, and The Going to Bed Book by Sandra Boynton. [6] X Research source
Many elementary schools require their students to read for a set amount of time each night. Incorporating this homework into your bedtime story is a great way to multitask and make the homework fun. Ask your child about what they have read to increase their comprehension skills. You can help them recall and repeat the story if necessary. [7] X Research source
Some classic stories for elementary-aged children include the Boxcar Children series by Gertrude Chandler Warner, The BFG by Roald Dahl, and The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster. Older children ages twelve and up might enjoy books like the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling or even the Lord of the Rings series by J. R. R. Tolkien.
Remember that it is more important for you to spend this time together reading something they enjoy than it is to worry about the level or type of book that you’re reading.
At some point, your child may decide they would rather read on their own. That’s ok too! You’ve had many wonderful years of bedtime stories.
Let young children sit on your lap, and cuddle with a blanket while you read. Older children can snuggle next to you with your arm around their shoulders. If your child doesn’t prefer to cuddle, that’s ok too. Being together is what matters.
For instance, many children love to look at seek-and-find picture books, or may find looking at an almanac of dog breeds interesting. The important thing is to spend the time with your child and a book in a low-pressure, reassuring environment.
Try giving every character a distinct voice, and don’t be afraid to be silly. Build anticipation for what will come next in the story by adding strategic pauses or exclamations to the words on the page. For instance, instead of saying, “Outside the window, she saw a big brown bear,” you might say, “Outside the window she saw a big… brown…. BEAR!”
Pointing at words as you say them. This helps to teach the child that words on the page correlate to spoken words. Anticipating what will happen next. Ask your child to predict what will happen on the next page. [10] X Expert Source Kathy Slattengren, M. Ed. Parent Educator & Coach Expert Interview. 31 August 2021. This encourages them to use context clues and decipher the story arc. Read a few words, then ask an early reader to read a word. You can point to sight words they’ve learned recently, or ask them to sound out a word they don’t yet know.
Remember that this time with your children is something they look forward to all day. Try to be present in the moment and enjoy it.
If you come across a word that your child does not know, briefly define it as you read. For instance, as you are reading, you might say: “The princess memorized the secret code. Memorized means she learned it so that she could remember it later. " Don’t read a book that is too difficult. If you see your child losing interest, you might want to choose a different book.
