George Jacobs Ph.D. and Wan Loh Inn Ed.D.

Dads should ask lots of questions, but stay away from too many teacher-type questions that make read aloud time into a test.   Here are some questions they might ask: What is your opinion? What would you do in this situation? How are you similar to or different from ______ (a character in the book)? What did you learn from this part of the book? What else would … [Read more...] about Guide for Dads: Ask Questions, but Don’t Make Reading Aloud Into a Test

I think that I still have it in my heart someday to paint a bookshopWith the front yellow and pink in the evening…Like a light in the midst of darkness. - Vincent Van Gogh   A picture is worth a thousand words   Many children’s books have illustrations of many kinds. These are great for boosting understanding and enjoyment. Let’s not pay so much attention to the … [Read more...] about Guide for Dads: Don’t Forget the Illustrations

All readers are good readers, when they have the right book. - Jeanne Henry   Sometimes we start reading aloud and see that the book just isn’t working, at least not today. No need to finish that book. Let’s just pick up another book and go with that one. Maybe we can try that first book again another time. Also, some books start slowly and take a while to get … [Read more...] about Guide for Dads: Get a New Book If It’s Not Working, or “Change” the Book

Dads should try to make the book come alive by varying the way we speak, for example, by:   1.  using different voices for different characters2.  varying how loudly we read 3.  adding sound effects, such as the sound of the wind or the bzzzz of bees 4.  highlighting important words.   Voice variety adds drama and fun to reading aloud. For … [Read more...] about Guide for Dads: The Reader is Like an Actor

A fondness for reading changes the inevitable dull hours of our life into exquisite hours of delight.  - Charles de Montesquieu   The key point is: Reading aloud is a journey, not a race. The longer it takes to get to the end of the book, the better. Our main focus is not on the book; the book is merely a tool for engaging children in a discussion about life and, … [Read more...] about Guide for Dads: It’s Not a Race