10 Tips for Reading Aloud with Children

Making reading a pleasurable habit is one of the most important things you can do for the child or children in your life and sets them up for lifelong readership. Here are the top 10 tips for reading aloud according to our librarians.

1. All reading is good reading. That includes books with commercial characters, comics, and nonfiction.

2. Find a comfortable space to read together. The love of reading is built around our cultural connection to books and hearing stories. Being in a cozy environment while reading will help create those loving connections. It’s also good to carry a book with you wherever you go—reading in a crowded space like a busy subway can soothe and distract.

3. Slow down. It takes time to process what’s happening on the page. You can pause on a page to look more closely at pictures before turning the page.

4. Ask and answer questions together. If you come across a word or concept your child or students don’t know, ask them what they think it means. And if you don’t know, it’s OK to say that! Explore unknowns together: these moments are opportunities to discuss the book and what is happening in connection to the world around us and capitalize on curiosity.

5. Be yourself. You don’t have to be an entertainer while you’re reading a great book! This is especially true when reading one-on-one with a child. The bond already exists and the moment is special because it is your voice.

6. Read ahead! Rhythm and meter are part of the magic of storytelling, so a little pre-reading can make a big difference. Flip through the pages before you start so you know what happens in the story and can check that it’s appropriate for your audience and moment. This will help you identify key moments for social-emotional learning.

7. Embrace wordless picture books. Books without words are an opportunity for you and your child to invent a new story each time. Wordless picture books are also a great opportunity to think and talk about what is happening—and to predict what will happen next!

8. Don’t worry about age or grade level. Even if a book isn’t entirely age-appropriate or seems a little advanced, you can still try reading different parts of it each time. You also don’t need to rush into bigger books because they are labeled as being more age-appropriate. If you’re looking for your next great read, take this opportunity to explore lists like the Scholastic 2021 World Read Aloud Day Book Picks and our list of 2020’s Best Books for Kids for favorites old and new.

9. You don’t have to finish a book. Don’t make reading a chore! Sometimes the best thing to do is to stop. If your audience is running around or not interested, come back to it later or ditch it entirely! You can even come back to it much later: revisiting stories at a later age can create an entirely new and wonderful experience.10. Make reading aloud part of your routine. This is especially valuable for our littlest ones, who crave structure for comfort and early learning. Make bedtime or tummy time a good time for reading. Plus, if children see you reading, you’re modeling great reading behavior that sets the foundation for future readership.

Work Cited: “10 Tips for Reading Aloud with Children.” The New York Public Library, 22 January 2021, https://www.nypl.org/blog/2021/01/22/tips-reading-aloud-children. Accessed 17 July 2023.