Reading to your child is just as important as reading with your child

It was a Friday afternoon; my class had just returned from our Children in Need sale in which many toys, stationery and cakes had been purchased (the latter had already been consumed). We had a spare 10 minutes and I asked the children what they would like to do, expecting a request for the classic classroom game “Heads Down, Thumbs Up” (also known in the teaching world as five minutes peace). I was genuinely surprised when the first request was, “Please can you read some more of Goodnight, Mr. Tom?” which was greeted by an overwhelming vote of support.

Upon reflection, perhaps my surprise was unjustified; the book has certainly captured the attention of the children, and we have been on quite the emotional roller coaster together as the story has unfolded. For those unfamiliar with the story, a young boy is evacuated into the countryside and placed in the care of a lonesome and grumpy widower, and the story follows their relationship together as the boy discovers a lifestyle much more caring and wholesome than the one he left behind in London. The settings and some of the themes of the story are very different from those my class have experienced in their lives, but they are totally captivated by it nonetheless. Yet this is not the first story to have this effect: Matilda, Harry Potter and The Invention of Hugo Cabret are just some of the books I have read down the years that have inspired my classes.

However, this is not designed to be a time-killing exercise, nor a way of keeping children quite for a few minutes; it is an invaluable learning opportunity for children. Having an adult read to them allows children to learn those techniques that transform those words into an experience: variety of expression; intonation; incorporating different voices; appropriate pace; fluency; the list goes on and on. If you really think back to when you were a child, I’m sure you will remember those adults whose techniques you heard and have since incorporated into your reading style. One thing that springs to my mind is that my father has a wonderful way of varying the pace of his reading that can express a sense of urgency or tranquillity into a story, and this is something I try to use when reading aloud now.

So, when you sit down to read with your child, try and allow some time at the beginning for you to read a little bit of their reading book to them so they can listen to these techniques you have. Then, when it is their time to read to you, they can have the opportunity to practise reading in a similar way to you. Encourage them to read with expression and to put their own “spin” on a character or their way of reading aloud. Remember, reading can be a very personal thing and a wonderful opportunity for children to be creative with words and expressing themselves out loud. Plus, you can help open their minds to a whole new world of imagination and learning that they can explore - something they will appreciate for the rest of their lives.

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