Why Is Story Time And Reading To Children Important?

What Is Storytime?

Storytime is a time when children can read a book, or enjoy listening to having a book read to them. It doesn't have to be an adult or a teacher that does the reading. Anybody can read a book to children - books can also be read aloud by siblings or friends (younger or older). It is a time when reading is modelled to children.

Why Read Aloud A Story?

Listening to somebody else read a story can be a very enjoyable experience. It can help children develop a special bond with the reader and encourage a child's love for books. Having a story read to you, can make you listen to a story that you would never normally choose yourself. Children sometimes avoid reading or choosing books because they think it is too difficult for them, having the story read to them, takes the pressure off them and leaves them to simply relax and become engrossed in the story.

Helping Children Develop A Wider Range of Vocabulary

Listening to stories being read aloud can help children develop a wider range of vocabulary. They will be introduced to new words that they may not necessarily be able to read themselves. The reader (adult, teacher or anyone who is reading the book) can pick out words they think the child may not understand and explain it to them. Alternatively, they can also pick out words that they think the child already knows and ask them to explain it in their own words. This in turn will also help with their spelling and sentence structure when writing. When speaking, they will also be able to contstruct sentence with increasing fluency.

How To Encourage Retelling and Recall Skills When Reading

Reading a story aloud to children means they can concentrate on what it happening in the story and become engrossed and interested in the characters. They can listen to the story without interuption - when reading by themselves they may need to keep starting and stopping, as they figure out how to read a word. At the end of the story, the reader can ask questions to help recall key events in the story, such as: What happened at the beginning, middle and end of the story? Who were the main characters? Can you remember when ...? Children can go back to parts of the story to help them recall events. This in turn will also help develop childrens' speaking and listening skills.

Reading To Develop Creative Writing

Listening to stories being read will help children develop there ideas when writing. Ideas and plots from stories can be used within their own writing. It can also help children use new words and phrases they have learnt, in the context of their own writing. By regularly listening to stories, children develop the idea that stories have a beginning, middle and end, that stories usually have a problem that the characters need to resolve by the end of the story. This in turn will help them when writing their own stories.

How To Help Children Develop A Love For Reading

Reading stories from a variety of authors and genres exposes children to a wide range of writing styles. Over time it can help them realise the types of stories they enjoy and those they may not be particularly too keen on! Children who have stories read to them regularly, often choose to read books by themselves without having to be told to read. They will often pick up the story they listened to and read it themselves independently. It can also encourage children to look for similar books when they visit the library, reading corner or their own library of books.

Read Aloud Books By Teach My Kids

Teach My Kids understands that it is not always possible to read to your children. Sometimes they just like it when someone else reads to them! It can also be difficult to get hold of a variety of books. 

Why not visit Teach My Kids YouTube channel , where we have compiled a variety of stories read aloud. Children can follow the story in the video. If they have a copy of the story, they can read along with us.

Members of Teach My Kids can also access specially devised questions and discussion points for each story, to help develop childrens understanding of the story. LogIn to your account to access story questions.