I’ve Learned A Thing Or Two Over The Years

Like how to properly read a book to Children. I like to read, and I like to read to young kids because of the awe in which they listen while you read.

When reading books to young children you should make it interactive. When reading “Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See?”, for example, ask the kids what sound a duck makes when you’re on the page that shows the duck. Get them to count with you during number books. Ask them to identify the items pictured for each letter in an alphabet book. If the book has a chorus, or a repeated phrase, have them to help you with it. With “Chicka, Chicka, Boom, Boom!”, I tell the kids to clap their hands and yell “Boom boom” every time I read the “chicka chicka” part. They love that.

But under no circumstances should you EVER ask open-ended questions of this age group, like “Have any of you ever seen a duck?” If you do, be prepared for long and rambling monologues about how once this one time my big brother petted a duck and the duck’s name was Quackers and it bit him and he had to go to the hospital and he was very sad but the doctor gave him a lollipop and I like lollipops, but I didn’t get one. Do you have any lollipops? My momma takes hoodia. Do you know what that is?

Kids, gotta love ’em.

One thought on “I’ve Learned A Thing Or Two Over The Years”

  1. I once read to a class of Kindergartners and made the mistake of asking what sound does a cat make… I got a wonderful story about how this little boy’s cat died when his dad ran over it and they had a funeral when it was warmer so they went to the pool and had ice cream… I never found out what sound a cat makes… ruff!

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