Reading, Darllen, Lecture, Läsning

Reading to your child is one of life’s greatest gifts. But sometimes, as a result of fatigue, even a sweet opportunity can feel like a curse. Consider the following questions...

• Have you read your child’s favorite book a hundred times?
• Is it making you insane?
• Do you frequently get caught trying to skip pages so you can get downstairs and eat a Beyond the Batter cupcake while watching Big brother?

You’re not alone.

 

Here are a few tools needed to turn a twenty two page story into an 11 page story.

 

The Two Page Turn

Children are extremely susceptible to slight of hand. Make use of it. While holding a book with your left hand, use the index finger, middle finger and thumb of your right hand to prep the next two pages. This will make the subsequent page flip appear seamless...like magic. And what kid doesn’t like magic? Warning...be ready to provide connective text to maintain the integrity of the story. “And then Chase tripped over a barrel of sandwiches, causing the kitty's mask to fall off,” usually works (but not always) you need to be creative!

 

Clearing the Memorization Hurdle

This is a tough one for sure. If your child has his or her favorite book committed to memory, ask them to read it to you. Most kids don’t like this, and I guarantee he’ll ask you to read a different book...one he hasn’t memorized. This has worked more then once recently.

 

Word Skipping

My extensive research shows that in books for very young children, approximately 45% of words are modifiers. Skipping needless terms like, “very,” “quickly,” and “super“ will get you out in a little over half your usual time. In books for older kids...those with ample dialogue, for instance, nearly everything a character says is followed by, “said Tom,” or “Sally said while holding her breath so as not to disturb the dragon.” Skipping those parts won’t only save you time, it will also make the story more mysterious and more fun.

 

Covering for a Mistake

You fumbled one of my techniques and now your child knows you skipped something. Busted. But he doesn’t know you did it on purpose. A simple, “Oh, the pages are sticky,” or “You’re right, Rubble did say he put ‘a whole bunch’ of rocks in his garbage truck, not just ‘a bunch’” should clear the air. Wait a couple of pages before reapplying The Two Page or Word Skipping techniques.

 

Employ Honesty

When all else fails, just tell the truth. Say something like, “Hey buddy, you know what? I’ve read this book too many times. Do you think maybe, just maybe (go for a gentle tickle here), we could read something else? Just for tonight?” You’ll be shocked by how rational even little guys can be when you Keep. It. Real.