When selecting books to read to kindergarteners, parents and teachers should recognize that a child comprehends text a few reading levels above his reading ability. Therefore, reading aloud provides the opportunity to stretch a child's language abilities and introduce new vocabulary and age-appropriate concepts before he can read it for himself. If you are teaching a workshop to help parents and educators improve their skills for reading aloud, provide participants with a selection of books at different reading levels. Ask them to peruse the books and select some they believe would be appropriate for kindergarteners. Keep in mind the attention span of young children and choose books that are long enough to be challenging but not so long or intricate that children lose interest. Discuss why they chose the books they did and what makes the others not a good choice for young children.
The best written story falls flat when read in a flat monotone voice or with an attitude of boredom. Explain to parents and teachers that no one can read well aloud and do a book justice when they read it cold. As with anything else, doing a thing well requires practice. Have each participant select a storybook and read it to themselves, taking note of the flow and rhythm of the story, the characteristics of each character and the plot. Practice reading it to a partner, small group or in the mirror, using tone of voice and volume changes to create excitement, sadness, suspense and mystery in the appropriate places. Try using a different voice for each character. When you take the time to read the nuances of meaning into the story through creative use of your voice, you grab the children's interest by making the story come alive.
No one, including kindergarteners, likes being talked at. The children will get more out of the reading experience if they are able to engage with the ideas and character experiences in the text. Encourage dialogue, and use movement responses to let them share their own experiences as they relate to the text. Practice reading to a group of other participants who are pretending to be kindergarteners or a test group of children to elicit interaction and response to the story.
Most parents are familiar with young children's fascination with repeating favorite stories or videos over and over again. This affinity for repetition lends itself to progressively building student's skills through repeated readings of the same story. A first reading can introduce the basics of plot and vocabulary. Subsequent readings can explore characters, problems and solutions. Ask children to share personal stories regarding similar experiences they have had. Further readings can ask students to make inferences and give explanations or look at cause and effect. Each reading asks students to delve a little deeper and promotes ongoing language development. Ask workshop participants to choose a story and make a list of concepts, questions and commentaries they could initiate through repeated readings of that book.