Tots and Me... Growing Up Together: Littles Learning Link Up: Guest Post- Making Read Aloud Time Fun For Little Ones

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Littles Learning Link Up: Guest Post- Making Read Aloud Time Fun For Little Ones

Welcome to Littles Learning Link Up. Each month you will find:

A seasonal round-up (at the beginning of the month)
A guest post featuring crafts, activities, tips, snack ideas or other early childhood topics. (toward the end of the month)
Posts where I share what I have been up to with my preschoolers and/or early elementary children (with the occasional free printable).

Each week, I will host a link up, where you can share either what you have been up to recently, or old posts that may go with the theme. Feel free to link up more than one post.

Each week I will continue to feature a couple of posts from those that have been linked up.

I hope you will continue to share your wonderful posts, and I hope you will find something new to try with your child.

Today I am excited to introduce you to Leah Courtney from As We Walk Along The Road.

Leah Courtney is a homeschooling mom of four. Her days are filled with being a mom, homemaker, and teacher. In her (very rare) free time, she enjoys blogging, reading, and reviewing books and curricula. These days she’s learning the joys of being a mom of teens. You can read about her family and homeschooling life at As We Walk Along the Road.

Making Read Aloud Time Fun For Little Ones

Many children love being read to. Cuddles before bed as you read a favorite book; sitting on mom’s lap in the middle of the day for a good book and some down time-reading aloud can be a treasured part of your daily routine. But if you happen to have a little one who doesn't enjoy sitting and listening or if you’re just beginning to establish some regular read aloud times with your little ones, how can you interest them in read aloud time? Here are a few ideas.

Choose good books.

Some children’s books are just not very well-written. Often books that are written about cartoon characters or popular children’s toys are just so-so. And even though your child may pick up the book because of the popular character’s picture on the front, the quality of the book won’t be good enough to hold her attention. Choose books that are well-written. Look for recommendations for living books and then ask for those for gifts or visit the library to find them.

Give them some choices.

Have a basket or low shelf with books you want to make the “read aloud books.” You may be looking to include certain books or want to choose living books or picture book classics. Put those books into a specific place, and then let little ones choose from that area. Young children like to have choices. You can limit their choice by defining the area, but when you give them a choice, they are more likely to want to listen to the book they chose.

Expect and allow movement.

Most young children won’t sit perfectly still while you are reading. Some will plop in a lap and stay happily. Others will get up and down several times. Some may listen to a story better if they’re coloring or building with blocks. Although you can (and often should) begin teaching young children to sit for short periods, don’t assume they don’t like the book or don’t want to hear it just because they begin to fidget. Find ways for them to move and still listen. Practice sitting by reading short stories or only part of the book at first.

Make reading interactive.

Some books are naturally interactive. Books with flaps to lift or tabs to pull out can hold the interest of a young child who wants to play with the book and see what can be found. But even if the book you’re reading doesn't have these features, you can make the reading interactive. Have your child count items on a page or look carefully to find a person or an object on each page. Giving the child something to do as you’re reading together will help hold his interest in the story you’re reading.

Reading aloud with little ones isn't always easy. But it can be a fun time together. And it can help to build your young child’s love of reading from an early age.

Now It's Time For:

Littles Learning Link Up Features

On my last Littles Learning Link Up post, there were 8 wonderful posts linked up. I will be picking one randomly selected post to share, plus the top clicked-on post.

This week's randomly selected post is:

Tricia from Life With Boo and Gator shared Activity For All Ages: Finger Painting With Yogurt.

The following post had the most clicks:

Renae from Every Star is Different shared Sunshine & Reactive Attachment Disorder.

I would love to have you join in this week! What sort of activities do you do with your young children? Do you have some favorite activities you would like to share? I invite you to link up below. I will be pinning posts on my Toddler Ideas or other relevant board, and I would love to feature some of the activities each week from what is linked up.

Please know I may share a picture from your post and link back to it, along with sharing how we used your idea in our school time. By linking up you are giving me permission to use a picture from your post. I will ALWAYS give credit and link back. Additionally, if you choose to try out any of the ideas with your child, please make sure you give credit where credit is due.

Linky will be open through Sunday night, to give me time to check out all the posts and get the Features organized. Please take the time to visit some of the other wonderful posts linked up.