Make Storytime Special

Humans have told stories since the beginings of civilization. Stories are a valuable source of language skills, moral lessons, entertainment, and family bonding time. With a little extra effort, storytime can become a treasured ritual in your family.

Steps

 * 1) Pick a special place for storytime. It can be a particular chair, a bed, or a cozy corner with pillows. Make this the place you consistantly go for storytime.
 * 2)  Pick a time when your child is less active, but not ready for a nap. Make sure to have storytime at the same time every day.
 * 3)  Create a few storytime rituals. For example, you can bring a particular stuffed animal to storytime, or a special blanket. Details are important in creating routines.
 * 4)  Read with enthusiasm. Make the sound effects, give the characters unique voices, and use the power of the dramatic pause.  If you want to go the extra mile, rehearse the story at an earlier time.
 * 5)  Engage the child in your story. Show the pictures from the book as you're reading, and stop to ask the child questions.
 * 6) * For example: "What do you think that character should do now?", or "How do you think that character is feeling?"
 * 7) Use props, especially if you're not reading from a book. Acting out the story with sock puppets, hand gestures, or generic felt cutouts also adds extra fun.

Tips

 * Inform any babysitters of your storytime routine. It will be soothing for the child to continue the ritual even when you're not there.
 * Introduce new stories as well as recycling old favorites. You can include your child in a trip to the library to pick out books for storytime.