| Vineland Public Library Children's Department Families and Books II So you’ve begun reading to your child. Now what do you do? Here are some more ideas and interesting statistics. The information on this page is based on the Fifth Edition of Jim Trelease’s The Read-Aloud Handbook. Why Read? “Reading is the heart of education. The knowledge of almost every subject in school flows from reading” (Trelease,xxiv). Did you know? If you read to your child 20 minutes per day, 6 days a week for one year, you will have read 3000 pages in 104 hours, which equals:
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(From “Reading More and Loving It” A Resource Handbook by Jim Trelease, 71) When do you stop reading aloud to your child? A child’s listening level is usually two grade levels above his reading level. This means that your child will understand something he hears, but is unable to read. However, your child’s listening endurance does not develop overnight. Begin with short picture books, moving to longer ones that are spread out over several days. Then move to short novels and finally to full-length novels (over 100 pages). Your child’s listening skills continues to develop until he reaches high school.
How long do you need to read to your child? All you need is 10 minutes a day. Many parents tell us they don’t have 10 minutes to spare. Do you have time to stop at a convenience store for a cup of coffee? How about time to watch your favorite soap opera? As mentioned in our first brochure, it only takes minutes to read to your child. How do you choose books to read aloud? For infants and toddlers choose something with good rhythm and rhyme, lots of repetition, sounds that are exciting or silly and lots of splashy colors. For older children, you need to find something that will hold their attention. We have included suggestions of books you may want to read to your child. When is a good time to read to your child? Do not let reading interfere with your child’s immediate interests. A child’s attention span is about three minutes in length. Several three minute readings may total as high as thirty minutes a day. Reading at bedtime is always a good way to end the day. If your child watches television before bedtime, set a time when the television must be turned off. Then let the child decide if he wants to listen to a story, but the television will not be put back on if he decides not to listen to the story. Be firm with this decision. When is your child ready for something longer? If your child is asking for more and more to be read to them, it is time to move on to something a little longer. Read one or two chapters an evening. Do not fall behind in your reading or your child will lose interest.
Suggested Read-Alouds
The following are suggested books to read aloud to your child. Remember these are guidelines. Some books may be read to older or younger readers. You may wish to read the book to yourself before reading it to your child to familiarize yourself with the book or make yourself aware of any surprises you may find in the book. Preschoolers
1st and 2nd Graders
3rd and 4th graders
5th and 6th graders
Young Adults*
Short Novels to Read Aloud*
Full Length Novels to Read Aloud*
This page is taken from a brochure that was funded by a Literacy Grant from the New Jersey State Library with funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services through its Grants to States program. If you have comments or suggestions, email Samantha Tai, Children's Outreach Librarian This information last updated 03/09  
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