When we think of story time, we often conjure up images of low lighting, cozy blankets, and a sweet little method to help children drift off to Sleepy Land.
It's a wonderful way to close off our days, relax, and ignite the imagination in our little ones.
But here's the thing: It doesn't have to JUST be about a routine we follow before bed.
Story time is not only a delightful time for children to immerse themselves in captivating tales, but it's also a valuable opportunity to develop essential reading comprehension skills. Building strong reading comprehension skills from a young age lays the foundation for lifelong literacy and critical thinking abilities.
I love a good reading-for-the-sake-of-reading session, and I think it is super important to develop a love a literacy and create an exposure to fluent reading, however, children can do more.
We can seamlessly transform our storytelling sessions into engaging, learning experiences, empowering them with their learning education.
Within the education framework, there are some key goals that children have, when it comes to learning about books and reading.
Let's chat about how we can help our children at home, reach reach their goals in reading, during story time:
Go over the PARTS OF THE BOOK. This is an easy step you can incorporate into your routine story time. Before you start reading the book, take a real LOOK at the book. What is the title, and where do we find it? Who is the author/illustrator? What is the spine and where is it? What is the front cover? What is the back cover? What do we see on the back cover?
As you read, remind your child HOW you are reading. By this I mean, discuss that we read from top to bottom and left to right. Do you use your finger to track your reading to avoid losing your place? Do you use the pictures to help with the context of the story?
Make some predictions about what will happen in the book. This is great for the first-time reading of the story. Have a look at the cover image with your child. This is something we often overlook or just quickly glance at. Do you typically have a discussion about it? If not, then this could be something you can start to do! While looking at the photo, what do they think the story will be about? Does it remind you of anything else?
During story time, while demonstrating how to read with expression, be sure to stop a couple of times to THINK ALOUD. It is really valuable for children to be exposed to how we each THINK about our THINKING. What are you thinking about during a particular part of a story? Did something happen in the story that makes you wonder about something else, or have more questions about the situation? What did a certain situation make you think about? Can you connect a situation to your own life, to another story you have read, or to the world around you in some way? Do you have any predictions, as the story goes on, for what may happen next in the story? Think about that thinking, OUT LOUD. Your child needs to learn how to think about their reading. This will help so much with their comprehension.
Let's get the discussion going, by asking questions. Incorporate questioning techniques to scaffold comprehension and critical thinking. Ask a variety of questions that target different levels of understanding, including literal, inferential, and evaluative questions. For example:
Literal: "What color is the character's hat?"
Inferential: "Why do you think the character felt sad?"
Evaluative: "Do you agree with what the character did? Why or why not?"
Another great opportunity to ask questions, is at the end of the story. Ask questions about what they liked. What was their favourite part or character? Why? Were any characters similar to them or someone they know? How?
BONUS
Ask your child to retell the story to you or someone else in your household, later. What happened in the beginning, middle, and end of the story?
Extend learning with follow-up activities that reinforce a child's comprehension skills. This could be drawing story scenes, writing an alternate end to the story (or simply discussing it and drawing a picture- depending on level), compare characters in a Venn diagram, act out the story (or a favourite part!), or make story-related crafts.
Now, I am not telling you to do all of these things EVERY time you read. That might be a bit intense. What I am suggesting, is to switch it up now and then, during your next story time.
Adding just a few of these, will not only encourage a love for reading, curiosity, and exploration during story time, but we can foster a lifelong appreciation for literature and the power of comprehension. When it becomes part of their everyday reading routine, it removes the anxiety around answering similar types of questions in the education environment (whether at home or in a school).
Encourage a love for reading, curiosity, and exploration during story time, fostering a lifelong appreciation for literature and the power of comprehension. Together, let's embark on a journey of learning, imagination, and discovery through the magic of story time!
Parents and educators alike, should strive to make learning fun, and make learning a part of a child's every day life.
Let's embark on a journey of learning, imagination, and discovery, through the magic of story time!
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