What to Do During Your Preschool Reading Time

Reading is one of the most important things you can do with your preschoolers. It builds on so many skills and is also a great way to build a sense of community within the classroom. It expands their understanding of the world, develops language and listening skills, and fosters print awareness. Reading to your preschoolers is also a great way to stimulate their imaginations. How you structure your time and what you do during your preschool reading time has a huge impact on what your preschoolers will gain from it.

SHOW THE PARTS OF A BOOK

Before you get started reading with your preschoolers, show them the book. Show them the cover and explain that is where the book always begins. Point out the title of the book and the illustration on the cover. Talk about what they think the book will be about and explain that the title and cover illustration can tell a lot about the story.

After you talk about what the story may be about, show them where they can find the author and illustrator. Explain to them that the author is the person who created the story, and the illustrator is the person who created the pictures. You can even talk about that illustrator’s particular style. Some illustrators use drawings, some use collage, or painting. Once you get started reading, point to the words as you read to show that you always read the words from left to right and top to bottom.

READ WITH ENTHUSIASM

It is important to keep your preschoolers engaged as you read with them. The one thing that will make that impossible to do is if you read in a monotone voice. Preschoolers need to hear your enthusiasm for reading. Using different voices for each character is a fun way to keep your preschoolers engaged in reading time.

ASK OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS

Asking open-ended questions during your read-aloud time with your preschoolers is a great way to encourage critical thinking. Start with simple questions that give your preschoolers enough information that they will then be able to answer more challenging questions. Start with simple questions based on what happened in the story. Once you know that there is an understanding of the story you can ask more complicated questions, such as how the characters felt.

Sometimes your preschoolers will give random answers to questions. They want to participate and be a part of the group, and that is a good thing. Be careful not to dismiss their random answers. Acknowledge them and then redirect to what you were discussing. You want to make your preschoolers feel important and included, so that they will continue to be eager to participate in the group.

READ IT AGAIN AND AGAIN

Preschoolers love repetition when it comes to reading. You could read the same story every day at circle time for a week, and they would still be excited for the story on Friday. That is, as long as you make it engaging. Reading a story many times allows your preschoolers to think more deeply about the story each time and expand their learning.

LET YOUR PRESCHOOLERS READ TO YOU

Preschoolers love to play teacher. They also will sometimes memorize a familiar story. If you are reading a story over and over, as you should, your preschoolers will know it well. Letting your preschoolers “read” to you, and to the class, will build on their language and communication skills, too. Reading aloud to the group will also reinforce book knowledge and print awareness.

Make your reading time fun and engaging for your preschoolers, and read often! The more that you read aloud to your preschoolers the better.