Tips For Parents/Guardians

Download (PDF format) Owl's Nest Book Store's Favourite Picks for a list of great reads from Picture Books to Mid-Grade Fiction.

The single most important activity for building the knowledge required for success in reading is reading aloud to children.

Why is Reading Aloud To Your Children So Important?

Reading aloud is more than a fun way to pass family time. It will further your child's literacy growth.

The benefits of reading aloud include:

It enhances a love of reading.
It expands your child's imagination.
It strengthens listening and comprehension skills.
It develops reading skills.
It helps your child acquire vocabulary, background knowledge and an understanding of sentence patterns.
It gives your child an opportunity to bond with you through the shared enjoyment of reading a good book together.
Children learn about the world that opens up to them through reading.

How to Read Aloud to Your Child:

Choose a book that you and your child will enjoy together. You'll find that your child often wants to make the choice.
Pick books with topics that interest your child: fantasy, fairytales, sports, poems, magazines, information/non-fiction
It is a good idea to start with books that have predictable language patterns. Your child can pick these patterns up and repeat them easily.
Read for a short time, but make it daily. Make it a habit.
Hold the book so that you both can see the print.
Before you start, share the title, look at the book cover, and wonder together about what the book will be about.
Point to each word, or slide your finger under the text as you read.
Spend lots of time talking about the book with your child. Encourage your child to do lots of talking about the book.
Read and reread your child's favorite books.