As an educator, you have the power to boost your students learning potential by making books an integral part of their lives. In fact, a study by the American Academy of Pediatrics found that reading daily to young children can help with language acquisition, literacy skills and brain development. To help your students fall in love with reading, here are three smart strategies for reading with your class:
- Show Enthusiasm and Excitement About Reading
Young children model the behavior of their parents and caregivers. If you show that you’re excited about reading and books, they will pick up on that and follow suit. To further excite children about reading, try to invite guest readers to your classroom and ask them to bring their favorite book to share. - Choose Books that Your Preschoolers Are Interested In
While every child has different likes and dislikes, try to choose books about familiar objects or things your students can relate to such as family, food and playing. To show your students that there are many different kind of books and topics for them to enjoy, keep a wide variety of books in your classroom library. - Use Your Voice
As you read with your students, keep them engaged by using your voice in different ways through out the book. For example, try to give each character a different voice and change your pitch to fit the theme of the story.