Reading stories to our kids is especially helpful for younger kids who have just begun their reading journey. The act of listening to our familiar voices reading out the words is a good first step to get them interested in books. When we read the words and describe the pictures to our kids, they begin to understand that as pages turn, story events unfold. They realise that words and pictures can hold lots of meaning, and that they can discover new things about the world.

3 fun ways to read TO our beginning readers:

1. Read as a character such as an animal or cartoon. Snort, buzz, cluck or baa at the end of sentences. Be as silly as you can (and laugh at yourself too)!
2. Ask them simple ‘What’, ‘Where’, ‘When’, ‘Who’, ‘Why’ questions to help build their vocabulary and encourage thinking.
3. Ask them to predict what happens next before turning the pages. Kids love it when they are right, don’t they?

This is more applicable for independent readers who have started to read on their own, or at least able to identify familiar words and read them. They are able to participate in the meaning-making process of the books they read. This can include questioning the things they see on the pages. Overall, there is more interaction between the readers.

3 fun ways to read WITH our independent readers:

1. Take turns to read lines or pages with your kid so that they won’t get overwhelmed by thicker books.
2. Choose to take on different characters in the story and read out their dialogue lines.
3. Pretend that you read some words wrong and see if your kid catches your mistake!

What’s the best way to get your kids’ attention? Hold a book, sit on your sofa and look relaxed. They’ll get curious and come to you in no time! So get caught reading, or at least, holding a book!

We are the best role models for our kids. It can be hard to find pockets of time even for us parents to do reading. How about trying this? Find a good time over the weekend, pause whatever you are doing, chuck away your phone and open up a children’s book! Why not? Your kids would love to find out what you are reading and ask you about it.

Enjoy the uninterrupted reading time with your kid. This is the perfect excuse for you not to check on your work emails or messages. It’s worth a chance to spend just even 10 or 15 minutes of quality shared reading experience. Take that chance!

The benefits of reading together go beyond just the cognitive development of our kids. Being physically close together while reading with your kids provides them with the warmth of your relationship with them. A popular choice for families to read together is before bed.

But is bedtime the only time to read? Of course not! There are plenty of times when we can actually enjoy books. Dr Loh shares that one example is when we travel. If you are in the car, you can listen to audiobooks as a family.

Not sure where to start? Here’s one audiobook resource that’s great for kids: Storynory. It is also available for free on iTunes podcast. If you are traveling on the bus or train, you can also get your kids to choose one book they would like to bring along. This is one example of autonomy you can give your kids!

Nothing beats reading something you like. Dr Loh cannot emphasise this enough. Comics is one good way to get kids interested to read. Sometimes, a little more graphics and humour are all our kids need! Our National Library Board boasts an impressive catalogue of comic books here — it’s a good way to explore the many reading options at the library ahead of purchasing them.

To learn more about discussions around reading from a distinguished line of experts, head on over to Dr Loh Chin Ee’s very own educational podcast series titled ‘How We Read’ here.

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