Ten minutes. That’s all we need to read aloud to our kids. Just ten minutes a day of reading aloud to our kids will make a huge difference.
I enjoy reading aloud to my son. It relaxes me. Unfortunately, some moms find it hard to read aloud to their kids. They can’t seem to find the time to do it. When they do find the time, they lack the patience to make the moment enjoyable. That’s sad.
What the use of reading aloud to kids when the atmosphere is not friendly? Kids will associate reading with the unfriendly atmosphere and that could get pretty traumatic for them.
Reading aloud should be fun. We, moms, should make sure that our kids enjoy the moment.
Quit Thinking Of The Benefits Of Reading Aloud
I understand why some moms find it difficult to read aloud to their kids. Considering the daily workload of moms, it’s not that easy to set aside quality time to read aloud. I should know because I’ve been there.
I tried everything to allot some quality time. Unfortunately, I would end up falling asleep while reading a book.
It took a lot for me to read aloud to my son and for a brief moment, I thought I was going to give up on it.
There was a nagging voice inside me that told me not to give up. If I did, I would be a horrible mom for not spending some time to read aloud to my son. So, how could I not do it?
I was pressured by that nagging voice. It kept on reminding me of the benefits of reading aloud to my son and at the same time, kept on nagging me not to give up. I wanted to yell, “Stop!”
I thought to myself, “How could reading aloud be so stressful for a parent?”
Then I blocked the nagging voice in my head. I stopped thinking about the benefits of reading aloud. Suddenly, reading aloud became more relaxing for me. It became easier for me to grab a book to read aloud to my son.
There was no more pressure for me to make it a learning experience for my son. I became more relaxed. I just read aloud a story to my son. I stopped worrying if my son missed out a word or an event in the book.
I just went on to read aloud. I found that my son appreciated that manner of reading aloud more. He, too, was more relaxed.
Don’t Overdo It
Some parents get overly excited about the benefits of reading that they end up overdoing it. I was guilty of that as well.
I committed to reading aloud for an hour every single day. If reading aloud is good for my son, I should commit at least an hour a day to do it, right?
Well, I was wrong about that. In my case, I found it very hard to read aloud for an hour a day. It was doable for the first few days. Then it became too stressful and tiring. I was also having a hard time finding more books to read.
I was reading aloud too much information to my son to the point that he got bored. Another thing I realized was that there was no way I could let my son sit for an hour straight. As a five-year-old boy, his attention span is only good for about 25 minutes at the most.
Instead of boring my son to death, I resorted to reading aloud to him for just ten minutes a day. Yes, just ten minutes a day. It worked. Since that day on, it was a lot easier for me to read aloud to my son.
Reading aloud for ten minutes a day is backed up by the National Adult Literacy Agency. According to their article, all we need is just ten minutes a day to read aloud to our kids. Those ten minutes will make a huge impact on our kid’s learning development.
With just ten minutes of reading aloud to them, they can learn new words, come with ideas based on the story, and predict what’s going to happen next. The short period can spark their curiosity to think.
Based on my experience, the best way to avoid overdoing the task of reading aloud is by committing to do it for just ten minutes a day. It’s easier for both the parent and the child.
Keep It Fun And Simple
Parents are always trying to find ways and means to read aloud to their kids. I don’t blame them. What I have learned from finding the time and patience to read aloud to my son is to just keep it fun and simple.
If we prioritize the fun part of reading aloud, then everything else will follow.
When your child learns to read at an early age, it expands their vocabulary and opens up their love for learning. It helps build their confidence and vastly improves their learning abilities.
And based on my experience, having the right reading methodology when teaching your child learn to read makes a world of difference.
I should know as I made that mistake. 😢
In fact, you can read my story about my child’s struggle with reading here and how we were able to help my child become an advanced reader here. 😀🤗