READING TIPS AND NOTES

Few people will argue with the importance of reading to children. But when most of us think about reading aloud, we picture a child in the lap of a grown-up looking at a picture book while the adult reads aloud. If we want to raise readers in the Information Age, we need to read to children who know how to read but are still improving their skills. We need to read to 8-, 9- and 10-year-olds, as long as they will listen.

Why?

There are many reasons. Reading together keeps the experience of reading a social activity, not something to be struggled through alone. Many children lose interest in reading when it changes from a warm, cozy activity with a loving adult to a solitary struggle. Parents cannot let that happen. When adults take the time to read to and with children, it demonstrates the importance of reading.

Reading aloud to a child allows parents to influence the literature their child is exposed to. Children will listen to and enjoy a wider variety of literature than they will read independently. Reading a long story over a period of days or weeks also brings parents and children closer together. Between readings, parents and children can predict what will happen. Opportunities will come up in everyday life to connect a character’s experience with children’s experiences. These discussions will build your child’s comprehension skills.

It takes a number of years of reading experience for children’s reading vocabulary to catch up with their listening and speaking vocabulary. Children enjoy listening to books they understand but are not yet able to read. But most important, unless children hear what treasures lie inside longer, more difficult books, they will not be motivated to pick up books without pictures.

Learning to read is hard. Young children are willing to work hard. They generally get a lot of praise for their efforts. Praise and supervision make the work worth it. But after children become marginally proficient, many of us breathe a sigh of relief and tell them to do their assigned reading on their own or to read aloud. For many children, this takes all the fun out of reading. And truly engaging books at this early proficiency level are hard to find.

Third, fourth and fifth grade are a time when many children lose interest in reading. For many, it’s their least favorite subject. They may sit with a book in front of them for the allotted time each evening, but very little reading is actually taking place. However, if a parent reads aloud, especially if it is the first five chapters of a good book, the child will be pulled into the story. When Mom or Dad says good night, it’s likely the children will continue on their own. Unless they are pulled into a book, children won’t have reason to believe that a book could possibly compete with TV or video games.

For a list of good read-aloud books, you can visit my classroom Web site at https://powayusd.sdcoe.k12.ca.us/rradlauer. Here you can choose a book to read with your child in a genre that you both prefer.

BOOK EVENTS

* Thursday in Woodland Hills: Story time for children at 6:30 p.m., Bookstar, 21440 Victory Blvd. (818) 702-9515.

* Thursday in Pacoima: Theatrical storytelling at 4 p.m., Pacoima Public Library, 13605 Van Nuys Blvd. (818) 899-5203.

* Saturday in Los Angeles: Kickoff of the summer reading program, with readings on reptiles, in conjunction with a reptile exhibit at 2 p.m., Vernon-Leon H. Washington Jr. Memorial Library. (323) 234-9106.

* Saturday in Downey: Crafts and reading of books about fathers at 1 p.m., Through a Child’s Eyes, 7827 Florence Ave. (562) 806-6490.