Try some of the following tips to make story reading time with your child all the more fun and effective:

1. Be as expressive as possible

Make sure you use different facial expressions, body language, gestures and eye contact to bring to life the words and emotions in the story.

2. Use the right tone and tempo

Modulate the tempo, volume and tone of your voice to suit different aspects of the story. For example, if the story is building in anticipation, use a slow, hushed tone. Or you can speak faster to create excitement. You can also try and impersonate the voices of the characters to make them seem real.

3.  Use silence

Intentional silences are important as they give your child time to imagine the story. They can also be used to create suspense to draw your child in. Make sure your silences aren’t too long as they might lose their effect.

4. Make sure they’re keeping up

When reading time has finished, do a quick recap of what happened in the story, or ask your child a few questions about what happened to ensure they are keeping up. Doing a quick recap and asking questions will also help improve their comprehension.

4. Ask questions about what might happen

At the end of a page or chapter, ask your child what they think might happen next. This will keep them interested and focused on the plot and also require them to recall what has happened previously.

5. Build anticipation to the next reading time

Try and stop reading just before a twist in the story so your child will look forward to find out what happens next story time!

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