Reading aloud Indian authors

While authors from across the globe have written fantastic books for children which are a must read, it is important to include books by authors in India who have written extraordinary stories to spark a child’s imagination, provide reading pleasure and a strong bond with the characters.

Reading aloud to toddlers - why, when and how?

Little Anaya was playing joyfully with her doll house. She takes a break, reaches to the book basket, pulls out her favourite book and takes it to her mom. Her mom reads it to her from where they had left the last time. It is a picture book and Anaya loves to point out at different fruits with her mom. They read a few pages together. Soon, Anaya runs off to a new toy she notices round the corner. Her mom closes the book and puts it back in the basket. This is how long read aloud time can be with toddlers!

But, this few minutes of reading is just right for them and will go a long way in creating life long book lovers!

Tips and tricks to make read aloud interesting and interactive

Hey ya! I am excited that so many of you have made a fantastic effort to read aloud to your children every day. Moving on with our endeavor, I am putting down few tips and tricks to make reading aloud interesting and interactive.

            Be a storyteller! When you read, add life to the characters by creating great character voices. Doing this is simple. Focus on the main characters and see what makes these characters special. Look for personalities like loving, thoughtful, witty, happy, sad, funny, sarcastic, brave, cowardly, nervous, confident, demanding, rude, calm, dangerous, proud, humble, naughty, curious etc. etc.

Now, use the basic tools of pitch, volume, pacing and attitude to create character voice. For example, a higher pitch for a brave boy, a lower pitch for a humble boy. Louder voice for a demanding character and a softer voice for sad or nervous character

Speed up a bit to show excitement or slow down to show calm character.  Another great tool is attitude. You can tell if somebody is happy or sad or angry or curious when you read with the right attitude.

            More importantly, read with expression. Read at a pace that is not too fast or too slow. Stop at appropriate intervals to allow the child to look at the illustrations and reflect upon the story.