At Roswell Speech Therapy, we know the many positive speech, language, social, and cognitive benefits that come from sitting down with a child and a good book. We also know that caregivers often are stretched for time and can’t fit in as much reading time as they’d like (it’s OK–we get it!).
Here’s our tips for maximizing that storybook time and using it to, not only soak in snuggles and giggles, BUT support your little one’s development and learning.
Set Up a Distraction-Free Environment
To take advantage of that important reading time with your little one you want the environment as free of distractions as possible. We recommend you turn off all electronics and shut the door from any outside noise. Essentially, try and clear the environment of anything that can pull away from that storytime.
Bonus–it’s beneficial to have a space you always read such as a bean bag or a certain chair. This can serve as a quiet and calm space as your child gets older. It can even lead to your child picking up a book without encouragement in the future!
Ask Questions While Reading
It’s easy to think that beneficial reading means sticking to every line on every page BUT reading is a great opportunity to do some question asking to enhance language skills.
“Who do you think is in that house? I think it might be the bear.”
“Why do you think he is upset?”
“Where’d the girl's doll go?”
You don’t have to do this EVERY page but, when it feels natural, pause and chat through the pictures and add in those meaningful “wh” questions.
Identify Feelings
As you’re reading, take a brief moment to pause and explain how characters must be feeling. This can help your child communicate his or her feelings.
“Wow. That boy seems like he’s mad. ”
“She is crying. She must be sad.”
“He lost his bear. That would make me feel sad.”
Relate to the Story and the Characters
As your child approaches elementary age, encouraging him or her to relate to the story is a wonderful way to increase social skills and self-awareness. Plus, who doesn’t love a story that they can relate to?
“His feeling were hurt because he was left out. Have you ever felt left out?”
“When she was on the roller coaster, it made me think of when we went to the fair.”
“He likes coloring just like you!”
Allow Freedom in Book Choice
Book choice is actually something we recommend leaving to the child as much as possible. This may look like the same book EVERY night (we see you, Brown Bear, Brown Bear). This may also look like mainly non-fiction books over fiction books. Book selection is an important part of the reading process. It gives your child the freedom to pick, which will help with engagement during reading and overall joy.
Reading is arguably one of the best tools we have in our toolbelt to help our children learn. Regardless of which strategies you apply, you should feel proud to simply take that time to enhance your child’s learning and language skills.
Do you have concerns with your child’s language development or what you’re seeing while reading? At Roswell Speech Therapy, we hold FREE consultations and would love the opportunity to chat with you further. Book here: Roswell Speech Therapy/Contact.
Happy Reading!
-The Roswell Speech Therapy Team
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