Single dad

Dads should ask lots of questions, but stay away from too many teacher-type questions that make read aloud time into a test.

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Once the book is written and the illustrations are done, dads need to publish the book so that it can go on the shelf along with the other books in children's home library. Perhaps, children can even have a special place on the shelf for the books they wrote themselves.

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When dads read aloud to them, children are learning many different things. They are learning about the world, they are learning to love books and reading, and they are learning about language. This learning about language occurs mainly as children hear, see and understand the language as it is used. This is a kind of subconscious learning that takes place naturally. Dads do not need to do anything special. They just have a good time on the read aloud journey that we and the children have embarked on.

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The key point is: Dads should not just turn to Page 1 and jump in. They should set the mood first.

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One phrase to keep in mind is "Follow in order to lead." In other words, dads need to observe and listen to children in order to better lead them to enjoy reading. One way to follow children in order to lead them is to involve them in choosing the books that you read to them. A good starting place is to consider what books the child has enjoyed in the past. Some children, such as Wan Inn's two oldest children Joanne and Julian, would read anything that they could lay their hands on, and any place was a good place to read - from the bedroom to the restroom - with books hidden strategically in the restroom and bedroom closet for reading.

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There are many types of books. The key point when deciding what types of books to choose is: Introduce children to a variety of books. In this way, we widen their horizons. Here are some book types to consider.

Story books

When most dads think of reading aloud, they think of story books. These come in many types including folk tales, fairy tales, series about one character, adventures, mysteries, scary stories, and tales of growing up.

What about comic books? Don't say no to comics without looking at some. Many people who today are excellent readers, as well as some famous writers, started off reading comics. What is good about comics? The pictures help children understand the words, the exciting plots motivate children to want to know what comes next and the fact that most comics come in series, such as Spiderman, gives children much more to read after they finish one comic book. Wan Inn's son Julian took a big step toward learning French by reading the French version of the Astrix comic book series.

Yes, there are some junk comics, full of violence and other types of content may not want children to be reading. However, many other types of books (not to mention movies and television programs) contain the same type of content. At the same time, many educational texts can be found in comic book form.

Also, just because a book has drawings does not necessarily mean the book is easy to read. Comic books and other illustrated book can be for older children and adults. For example, the main character in Kayla & the Magical Tree is a pre-teen, and the book's themes are probably beyond the comprehension of younger children.

Wordless picture books

Who says that a book needs words? Babies, toddlers, and even older children can enjoy books with only pictures or just a few words. Talk about the pictures. Make up your own stories. Also, many picture books are made of child-proof materials, such as heavy cardboard, that little hands can't tear. Plastic picture kids books are great for reading in the bath!

What if we did not read to children before they went to elementary school? Is it too late to start? No, it is never too late to start, even if the children are in secondary school. It may be more difficult to get started with older children, but the experience is just as rewarding for them and for us. Dads should start slowly and pay careful attention to finding material that matches the children’s interests.

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Read aloud time can be a special time in dad’s relationship with their kids. This time spent together can build an enduring bond. When small children sit in the dad’s lap or alongside dad as they read, they all enjoy the closeness. When we read to any children, small or large, the common stories and information we share create a bond of shared experience and knowledge.

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When dads read aloud it not only helps promote reading skills. It also benefits all the other language skills for the child:

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What made us want to write about reading aloud to children? We had many reasons. First, research studies are clear that children gain many advantages when their dads and moms read to them. For instance, one book on research about reading stated, "The single most important activity for building the knowledge required for eventual success in reading is reading aloud to children" and said that "[Reading aloud] is a practice that should continue throughout the grades."

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