Three “do nots” regarding reading aloud

1. Do not be afraid to read to young children books with long chapters. A five-year-old is capable of attending to and understanding books such as Treasure Island or Journey to the Center of the Earth.
2. Do not waste your time reading “fast-food” type books (e.g Babysitter Club books or Captain Underpants).
3. Do not require your children to sit beside you on the couch while you read. As long as they stayed in the room and were not distracting or interrupting, we encouraged our children to play quietly with their toys, or to work on cross-stitching, or to draw, or some similar quiet project, while we read aloud. Many children listen much better when they’re doing something with their hands — it seems some little boys cannot sit still long enough to listen unless they’re holding something.