Making Predictions are Fun during Reading Aloud with Kids

A special type of question are prediction questions that ask children to make an informed guess about what will happen next in a story. Prediction questions develop children’s logical thinking skills. The key is this: Do not only ask for a prediction, also ask for the reasoning behind the prediction. The principle we must bear in mind is: the quality of a prediction is determined not by what actually happens next in the book but by the quality of the reasoning behind the prediction.

After all, books are just creations of authors’ imaginations. There is no right or wrong way for a story to proceed. Clues that children can use as a basis for their predictions include:

• The title of the book. If the book’s title is Kayla & the Magical Tree, it would be logical to guess that at some point something magical will occur.

• The author. Certain authors have different styles. For instance, if other books by an author are fantasies with all sorts of out-of-this-world events, children’s predictions can include actions that could not take place in the real world. In contrast, if another author’s other books contain only realistic actions, predictions of fantastic events are less reasonable.

• The type of story. We know that certain types of stories follow certain patterns. In mysteries, the detectives collect clues and then usually solve the mystery at the end of the book.

• Knowledge of similar books. Children can recognize similarities between different books. For example, Asian countries have many stories about the mousedeer, a small creature who outwits larger adversaries. Thus, if children have already been exposed to one or two other mousedeer stories, when they see one that begins with a mousedeer being hunted by a crocodile, they might surmise that the mousedeer will find some way to outthink the crocodile.

• Real world knowledge. This is often the best source of clues. In a book about elephants, children can use their knowledge about these animals to make reasonable predictions.

• Previous parts of the book. Children need to use information from earlier parts of a story to predict what will happen in later parts. Many children’s books, known as predictable books, make this easier by repeating certain patterns many times.

In addition to developing children’s skills at logical thinking, prediction has other advantages. First, it encourages children to listen carefully. Second, prediction heightens children’s interest in the book, because after making their prediction, they are keen to find out what the authors decided to have happen next in their book.

Teaching About Language Through Reading Aloud

When dads read aloud to them, children are learning many different things. They are learning about the world, they are learning to love books and reading, and they are learning about language. This learning about language occurs mainly as children hear, see and understand the language as it is used. This is a kind of subconscious learning that takes place naturally. Dads do not need to do anything special. They just have a good time on the read aloud journey that we and the children have embarked on.

No need to push the teaching, it happens naturally

However, in addition to this subconscious, natural language learning that goes on during reading aloud, dads can also promote conscious language learning by calling children’s attention to specific language features in the book or whatever that they are reading aloud. Before explaining some ways to do this teaching, let us emphasize caution. Do not overdo the teaching. Keep reading aloud enjoyable. Please.

What to teach

What dads teach will depend on the reading level of the children they are reading to. Also, in addition to their ideas about language points to raise, dads should respond to children’s questions about language. Here are some language features they can teach while reading aloud:

* Individual letters, spelling and phonics

* If the book has rhymes, dads can talk about rhyming and encourage children to make up more rhymes of their own

* Punctuation, such as after they have read aloud a question, dads can talk about question marks and why they are used instead of full stops

* The parts of a book, for example, stories normally begin with a setting that tells readers about who is involved and where and when the story takes place, followed by some kind of conflict that confronts the main character(s), and finally a resolution of some kind to the conflict

* Grammar, for example, noticing why past tense is used in some places while present tense is used in other places in the book or in other book

* Vocabulary, for example, in Hazel’s Puppy, a page at the end of the book lists six words and definitions which dads could highlight while reading.

Children Reading Aloud With Us

As children’s reading ability improves, they may want to read aloud with us, starting off with just saying a word or two that they recognize. Even children who cannot read at all can sometimes read along, either because you have read them the book so many times that they have memorized many of the sentences or because in a predictable book, certain phrases or sentences are repeated many times.

With picture books, another way to involve children in reading along is to use the pictures. For example, the sentence “Look at those puppets” appears accompanied by pictures of hand puppets in the book My Speech & Drama Class. Instead of reading the entire sentence, we can read only, “Look at those _______” and encourage children to use the drawings to fill in “puppets”. Or, children can just name what they see in the pictures.

Later, children can use picture books to create their own stories. If those stories are different from what is in the book – a little or a lot different – that is okay. Also, when we are not reading to them, children may take books and ‘read’ them on their own, without us around. This reading play is an early stage in developing a silent reading habit. As children’s reading ability improves, they can read the words they know and leave the other words to us.

When George’s niece Crystal learned how to read, she still wanted him to read to her, and refused his invitations to take turns reading aloud, even when they were reading a book that was within her ability range. Instead, she read along silently as George read aloud, quickly pointing out any errors he made. However, Crystal’s Elementary 1 teacher reported seeing Crystal reading aloud to her classmates!

Older children may enjoy round-robin reading aloud. For example, when one of George’s nephews, Hank, was 9-years-old, they would take turns reading from books that Hank choose. The read aloud fiesta became multi-generational when Hank’s grandmother joined in.

How to Prepare to Read Aloud

The key point is: If dads practice first before reading aloud to children, they can do a better job. Because their goal is to convince children to love reading, just like sellers need to know their products well in order to convince customers to buy them, they need to know the books they will read well in order to convince children of the joys of reading. So, if possible, dads should practice first.

To prepare, read the book to yourself silently. As you do, think about:

a. where in the book to use different voices, such as when different characters speak
b. where to speak softer or louder, such as when someone is whispering or shouting
c. where to add sound effects, such as when cows moo or bells ring
d. whether to skip any sections or pages, such as a long description that may be uninteresting
e. which words to emphasize, such as words with important meaning
f. whether to change any difficult words or spend time to explain them
g. where to stop and ask a question or make a connection to children’s lives
h. what sort of rhythm to use, especially when reading poetry

We don’t need to be a professional actor or a native speaker of the language used in the book to read aloud, but just like professional actors benefit from rehearsal, so can we. Plus, maybe our acting skills will increase as we do more reading aloud!

Another type of preparation is finding out about the authors of the books we are going to read aloud. Knowing about authors gives children and us insight into the book and helps children connect to other books by the same author. Libraries and the Internet can be a source of this information.

While preparation is useful, please do not feel that we always have to prepare before reading aloud. But, we should keep in mind all the points – a-h – above and be ready to think fast while we are reading. Besides, if we did not prepare ahead the first time, maybe the children will ask us to read the same book again. So, every time we read, we are also practicing. Indeed, working on our presentation skills is one way for adults to find something interesting when children ask for repeat reading of favorite books.

Give Children a Choice for Read-Aloud Books

One phrase to keep in mind is “Follow in order to lead.” In other words, dads need to observe and listen to children in order to better lead them to enjoy reading. One way to follow children in order to lead them is to involve them in choosing the books that you read to them. A good starting place is to consider what books the child has enjoyed in the past. Some children, such as Wan Inn’s two oldest children Joanne and Julian, would read anything that they could lay their hands on, and any place was a good place to read – from the bedroom to the restroom – with books hidden strategically in the restroom and bedroom closet for reading.

Other children may only be interested in books on a particular topic, in a particular series or by a particular author. Don’t worry if your children exhibit strong preferences and aversions. Dads should be happy that the children are reading even if they are stuck reading a particular type of book. After a while, they can influence them to try something new by reading aloud a different type of book. Jason, Wan Inn’s youngest, was only interested in books on insects and other animals. It was a challenge to try and influence him to read other types of books or read aloud to him other types of books. However, perseverance is the key and one may be pleasantly surprised to find the child curled up reading an unexpected book. With Jason, this happened in his early teens when he suddenly became interested in books awarded the Pulitzer or Booker awards!

Give books a pilot test at the library or bookstore by reading aloud a bit of it so that you and the children can judge your reaction to the book. This pilot testing prepares children for the day when they will be choosing books on their own for silent reading.

Letting children have a voice boosts their self-esteem and gives them a feeling of control. Additionally, children will be more eager to listen to books that they had a hand in choosing. If dads feel that children have not chosen wisely, they can gently inform them of why they believe a particular book is not the best choice.

If dads think a child will like a particular book, they should show enthusiasm for it and explain why you like the book and why you think the child will like it. Their enthusiasm for that particular book and for reading in general can be infectious.

Books can be selected based on something that happened during the day or something that is coming up in the children’s lives. For instance, reading the book My Art & Craft Class before children go to such a class for the first time prepares children for the new experience and may overcome their fears.

Many Types of Read Aloud Books to Choose From

There are many types of books. The key point when deciding what types of books to choose is: Introduce children to a variety of books. In this way, we widen their horizons. Here are some book types to consider.

Story books

When most dads think of reading aloud, they think of story books. These come in many types including folk tales, fairy tales, series about one character, adventures, mysteries, scary stories, and tales of growing up.

What about comic books? Don’t say no to comics without looking at some. Many people who today are excellent readers, as well as some famous writers, started off reading comics. What is good about comics? The pictures help children understand the words, the exciting plots motivate children to want to know what comes next and the fact that most comics come in series, such as Spiderman, gives children much more to read after they finish one comic book. Wan Inn’s son Julian took a big step toward learning French by reading the French version of the Astrix comic book series.

Yes, there are some junk comics, full of violence and other types of content may not want children to be reading. However, many other types of books (not to mention movies and television programs) contain the same type of content. At the same time, many educational texts can be found in comic book form.

Also, just because a book has drawings does not necessarily mean the book is easy to read. Comic books and other illustrated book can be for older children and adults. For example, the main character in Kayla & the Magical Tree is a pre-teen, and the book’s themes are probably beyond the comprehension of younger children.

Wordless picture books

Who says that a book needs words? Babies, toddlers, and even older children can enjoy books with only pictures or just a few words. Talk about the pictures. Make up your own stories. Also, many picture books are made of child-proof materials, such as heavy cardboard, that little hands can’t tear. Plastic picture kids books are great for reading in the bath!

Reading Aloud and Bookstores

A book is like a garden carried in the pocket. - Arab Proverb

Bookstores are another good source of reading aloud material. One advantage of buying books is that having books of their own provides a special feeling for children. They may have a favorite book, just like they have a favorite toy. Many bookstores have a

children’s section. These often have comfortable places where customers can sit and browse and to read aloud (quietly).

One way to use books from a bookstore is to give children books as gifts. Inside the book, write a personal message. This message can be connected to what happens in the book, it can be a message about reading, or it can be a general message of affection and concern for the child.

In addition to libraries and bookstores, many other sources can be treasure troves of read aloud materials. Relatives, colleagues at work, and neighbors may have books that their children have outgrown. Also, they and teachers can recommend books that other

children have enjoyed. Children’s friends and classmates may want to trade books. Also, the next time a child has a birthday guests can give books instead of other presents.

Never Too Late to Start Reading Aloud

What if we did not read to children before they went to elementary school? Is it too late to start? No, it is never too late to start, even if the children are in secondary school. It may be more difficult to get started with older children, but the experience is just as rewarding for them and for us. Dads should start slowly and pay careful attention to finding material that matches the children’s interests.

Remember that reading aloud is a kind of advertisement. When dads read aloud to older children they expose them to new worlds and new types of reading material. We offer them reminders of the joy of reading or help them discover this joy for the first time. Throughout our lives, we can all use reminders of good habits we should continue to practice.

As children grow older, a generation gap can emerge leaving adults and children with very little in common. Reading aloud offers one way to bridge that gap. And, because older children are already reading, the reading aloud can go in both directions with them reading to us as well. Indeed, one form of service project that older children can do is to read aloud on visits to homes for the elderly.

Reading aloud ties in naturally with children and dads discussing what they are reading. For instance, perhaps we come across an interesting article in a newspaper or something surprising in a book. We announce to the children and adults who happen to be within hearing distance, “This is interesting.” Then, we read aloud for a bit. Afterwards, the floor is open for anyone to comment on what we have just read.

For instance, in the early 1990s, George was teaching secondary school in Honolulu. One morning, the front-page headline on the newspaper was that the famous basketball player, Magic Johnson, had been diagnosed with HIV. This was a shock for the class. George put aside the lesson he had prepared for the day and read aloud newspaper articles on the topic, as the class sat in rapt attention. Afterwards, students wanted to discuss what they had heard, giving George a chance to do a bit of AIDS education.

Guide for Dads: Reading Aloud to Older Kids

Many adults, including teachers, stop reading to children after lower elementary school, sometimes even earlier. A common belief seems to be that reading aloud is the predecessor to silent reading and that once children begin to read silently, we should stop reading aloud to them. This is most unfortunate.

Everyone – we adults included – enjoys being read to. However, some older children may feel that we are treating them like little kids if we read aloud to them. One way to overcome this objection is with the choice of materials that we read. Older children will quickly recognize that the content is not baby-ish. An additional way to show that reading aloud is not just for young children is for another adult to join as a listener. In this way, children see that adults too take pleasure from being read to. After all, adults buy millions of audio books (books on tape or CD, etc.) every year.

Experts on language teaching recommend reading aloud for all ages of students. For instance, Regie Routman, author of best-selling books for reading teachers, states that “reading aloud should take place daily at all grade levels, including junior high and high school.” Similarly, in their book A Nation of Readers, Richard Anderson and colleagues state that reading aloud “is a practice that should continue throughout the grades.” (p. 51)

Research supports the use of reading aloud with older students. For example, Professor Warwick Elley of New Zealand led an international study that compared reading levels of students between 9 and 14 years of age in 32 different countries. One of the study’s conclusions was that frequent reading aloud by teachers contributes to higher reading scores.

M. S. Cosgrove conducted research with upper elementary school children and found that they too benefit from being read to, even though they were all able to read on their own. These benefits of reading aloud came in the form of higher achievement and enhanced attitudes towards reading.

Guide for Dads: Reading Aloud to Babies, Part 2

This is some advice from Jim Trelease, author of the landmark Read Aloud Handbook, and others on how to read aloud to babies.

* Hold babies in our arms in a way that shows support and affection but not imprisonment.

* Very young children enjoy touching books. We should encourage this, but babies are often not very gentle with books. They may be more interesting in sucking on the pages or pulling on them than in looking at the pictures and listening to us read. Fortunately, a whole range of durable books have been made from materials such as plastic and board. Nonetheless, we should be concerned about the possible health risks of babies putting books in their mouths.

* Babies will enjoy participating. As they develop, they can turn pages, point at objects and make sounds.

* Sometimes, babies need to settle down a bit before they are ready for reading. Dads should not give up if all they seem to want to do is turn five pages at a time. Instead, they should look for times when infants seem to be in the mood to be read to, such as a bit before nap time.

* Wordless picture books are especially nice for babies and toddlers. Older children can use them as well, by joining us in making up words to go with the pictures.

* If infants or toddlers aren’t paying much attention when we are reading to them, one tactic we can use is to change the story and put the children into the story by using their names, the names of family members and places they are familiar with.

* Another way to calm inattentive babies and toddlers is to give them something to play with while they listen, such as a toy or a set of keys.

* Don’t always expect too much in the way of response from babies. Have faith that they are listening and absorbing, and that there will be benefits down the path.