Hoping all is well with your summer family reading…

Family Reading Night Ideas

Gertrude Elizabeth Greene

Family reading night can benefit your child by exposing him to good literature, providing new ideas and concepts to discuss as a family, increasing his vocabulary and showing him that reading is an interesting and worthwhile pursuit. Family reading night should occur at least weekly to reap these benefits, and it should be an enjoyable time that the whole family looks forward to with excitement.

1. • Reading Materials

   • It is not difficult to find books that the entire family will enjoy. Many libraries and schools post lists of recommended books for various ages, and read-aloud lists are also published online (see Resources). If you have several children of different ages, you can choose a book that the youngest can understand but at a level high enough to interest the oldest child. It is a good idea to have several books available so that you can start another one if the first book is too boring or difficult to understand. Children’s magazines can prove to be a good source for reading material as well. It is best to read books aloud that you as a parent enjoy—you will read aloud with more expression and your children will sense your enthusiasm. To broaden their reading interests, you may want to expose your child to many different types of books, rotating between biographies, nonfiction, historical fiction, mysteries and other genres. Encouraging children to write down their requests for family reading night will increase their anticipation for this special event.
     

     Young Children

   • Young children should be read to daily, but family reading night can provide a chance to spend extra time reading, discussing books and doing book-related activities such as drawing pictures of scenes in books or trying out a recipe that is a favorite of one of the characters. Young children will enjoy hearing the same books read over and over again. Short books with plenty of illustrations will hold their attention best. Family reading night gives you a chance to snuggle on the couch with your child or to create a special reading tent or nook together. To keep the activity enjoyable, never test young children on the reading, but do make an effort to engage them in the story by asking questions and encouraging them to share their thoughts and ideas. Young children may become restless if you are reading a chapter book, so allow them to quietly color or play while you are reading. You may be surprised at how much information they soak up from your reading, even if it appears they weren’t paying attention.
     

     Older Children

   • Older children who read well may enjoy taking turns reading aloud. Children in this age group will want to participate more in choosing the books for family reading night, gathering ideas from their friends, teachers and the media. If reading books aloud doesn’t appeal to your older child or teenager, have each family member read the chosen book separately and come together to discuss the book. Family members may enjoy dramatizing parts of a story together or quizzing each other on the book’s characters, setting and plot.

Article found at: http://www.ehow.com/way_6170658_family-reading-night-ideas.html