You don't have to be a read-aloud king or queen, but..

Everyday life without reading is unthinkable

In everyday life, you read all the time, fast forwarding through emails at work or reading the latest news in the newspaper. The likelihood that you will have to read something aloud decreases with age, but reading remains one of the most important things you should be able to do.

Do you still remember how your parents read to you or the "read aloud moments" at school? In German class, we read aloud regularly and everyone had a turn, sometimes with divided roles. Then in secondary school it was just: "Everyone reads the text silently to themselves". In vocational training or at university, you could hardly save yourself from texts that you had to read and understand (for yourself) in the shortest possible time. This can rob you of the fun of reading.

Parents feel insecure

Once you get past these phases, you realize that as an adult (in most cases) you rarely read aloud and may well unlearn it. You stumble over words, don't read fluently, or are unsure how to emphasize sentences well. And suddenly you have children who want to be read to. Not reading aloud is not a solution and no master has fallen from the sky.

6 tips and tricks to become a "professional reader

1. Books you can not read enough

Flea markets or digital platforms like Vinted.de or Ebay Kleinanzeigen offer a large selection of books at a low price. Just try your way through the different book genres until you find the right one for you.

2. Children are quickly inspired

Go to the nearest library, a membership is often available for little money and you have a large selection of books. Take your child to the bookstore or library and let them choose their own books. Ask friends with children the same age as your children if they will lend their books. Borrowing books also teaches your child the importance of being careful with borrowed items and returning them at a fixed time.

3. Reading aloud does not take much time

No one says you have to read a whole chapter or even an hour with your kids. Just two or three pages can be enough, or 15-20 minutes a day. No matter how long you read, anything is better than nothing!

4. Reading aloud is fun

There are almost no limits to your ideas as a reader, especially younger children watch you very closely when you speak, so they learn to speak for themselves, for example, they watch your lips when you tell them something. Put yourself in the place of the characters in the story. You can play with your voice and disguise it, tell individual lines loudly or softly, you can emphasize literal speech and don't be afraid to do something not quite right. Just laugh at a slip of the tongue, make something funny out of it, or sort out your tongue again (blebelebelepp) and then do it all over again.

Also, you don't have to read aloud all the way through, but it's a good idea to interrupt the book and ask the child questions about what he or she has read. For example, are you as tall as the giant in the story or do you have a favorite color like the child in the book? This way you can engage your child and they can pay attention for longer.

5. Reading as a mindfulness ritual after dinner off to the bathroom, brush your teeth and then you can snuggle up with your children in bed or on the couch and read the most beautiful adventure stories. Especially before bedtime, this is a ritual that calms kids down and lets them wind down from a busy day. Use it also for yourself, to come to rest and let the evening end together.

6. Support your child in his development

Reading aloud stimulates the imagination, promotes language development (expands vocabulary) of your child and increases concentration. They learn to follow storylines, expand their knowledge in a playful way, and experience what it's like to put themselves in the shoes of other people (empathy).

As you can see, you don't need outstanding skills or a lot of money to teach your children to read. Dare, because "courage is good" and we are sure that you will do less wrong than you think - and even if something doesn't work out right away, that's not a bad thing.

Take a look at our magazine, there you will find more articles about reading, e.g. modern books for children and teenagers.

Published on 17.12.2020