10 Things to do When Telling a Story.

1. Pick a book that is well illustrated for younger children. You can use more text for older children.
2. Read the story 3 times to yourself in order to memorize the words so you can “tell” the story.
3. Use voice inflections, give each character a personality.
4. Use a less involved plot for younger children. Repetition of words, sounds, or phrases will keep a child’s attention.
5. Use clear diction to help develop proper sounds of words. Use melody and rhythm to keep a child’s attention. Poems and fingerplays are great for this.
6. Set the reading mood with a concrete object, such as a puppet, stuffed animal, piece of fruit, etc. You can even use the illustrations of the book.
7. Tell your child if the book is pretend or not. I don’t think it is wrong to read fantasy stories to your children as long as you tell them “it is pretend.” Being truthful avoids confusion.
8. Tell the name of the book and who wrote it. You can explain that an author is someone who writes books. A title is the name of the book.
9. Let your child think by pausing between events of the book.
10. Allow your child ask questions about the book while you are reading it. You can encourage your child to think about the content by asking, “What do you think will happen next.” This helps your child develop comprehension skills.