Reading bedtime story books is not only beneficial to children, but also parents’ relationships with their little ones. Furthermore, bedtime reading is not only about retelling or reading a story, but also entails building a dialogue with your kid. There are certain aspects to consider to make reading effective.

1. Make reading bedtime story books a family tradition

Bedtime reading is a kind of family tradition. It plays an important role in developing children’s love for books in the future, which may be transformed into shared reading with their kids. And it is confirmed by different research studies, stating that more than 60% of those parents who read in their childhood continue this practice with their children (Levy et al., 2018). Moreover, reading becomes part of home or family culture. Seeing parents involved and interested in reading to them, kids can be also more eager to read further in life. It is well-known that the best way to raise children is by means of a positive example on the part of parents.

2. Give kids opportunities through reading

Furthermore, reading bedtime story books can help parents give opportunities to their kids by enabling the latter to learn good lessons, discover, and develop listening.

Do not impose anything on kids, but show all positive sides of the world and give them opportunities to choose from. Reading can serve as one of the means to do this.

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3. Establish a meaningful dialogue

First, to implement bedtime reading as a daily family practice, focus on your reading style:

• Read stories slowly, but changing your tone in dialogues for different characters,
• You can add songs and rhymes to make the story even more egaging (sing some lines from the book),
• Add sounds (for example, for animals),
• Explain interesting words,
• Ask questions (for example, what the child thinks will happen next and what are his or her impressions from the story),
• Give the kid a chance to make up the continuation of the story,
• Overall, build a meaningful dialogue,
• Support kids in their attempt to answer and ask questions.

Create a cosy and magical bedtime reading atmosphere.

4. Support kids in all their attempts to ask questions

In other words, always answer questions the child asks in relation to the story. You can imagine further characters’ actions. Discuss pictures or illustrations.

5. Share your thoughts in response

Do not only answer kids’ questions in relation to the story, but also share your thoughts in response. This practice is beneficial to impart your family values and traditions. Explain to help kids learn lessons and moral, like in the book A Dog Called Buddy.

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Reference

Levy, R., Hall, M., & Preece, J. (2018). Examining the links between parents’ relationships with reading and shared reading with their pre-school children. International Journal of Educational Psychology, 7(2), 123-150. http://dx.doi.org/10.17583/ijep.2018.3480