Little Kitty Academy

Literature Guides

• Books That Build Character: A Guide to Teaching Your Child Moral Values Through Stories by William Kilpatrick and Gregory & Suzanne Wolfe
• Books to Build On: A Grade-by-Grade Resource Guide for Parents and Teachers (Core Knowledge Series)
• The Read-Aloud Handbook: Sixth Edition by Jim Trelease
• The New York Times Parent's Guide to the Best Books for Children: 3rd Edition Revised and Updated by Eden Ross Lipson

 Read-Aloud Activities

     Set a regular reading time without distractions. Be expressive.  If your child isn't used to listening to stories, you might want to start with poems or shorter selctions.  If your child begins to seem restless listening, take a break and get them involved: look at a picture, ask a question, draw a picture. Be gentle, relax, have fun; reading aloud isn't a test.

• Let your child look at the book before you read it.
• Point out a book's author and illustrator and talk about what they do.  Talk about and look for books by your childs favorite author & illustrator.
• Let your child pick the books sometimes.  If they pick a book that they dislike or don't have interest in, set it aside and give it a try later.
• Put your finger below the words as you read them.
• Discuss the sequence of events. Draw 3 or 4 pictures and have your child arrange them in the correct order.
• Discuss the 5W's: Who, What, When, Where, Why
• Discuss your child's interpretation of the story.  What did they think about what happened and how that made them feel.
• If reading a favorite story, pause at key phrases and let your child say them.
• Help them memorize a favorite nursery rhyme
• Act out a story or scene from a story.