Top 4 Things You Should Know When Reading to a Toddler

1. Have Repetition and Be Predictable: Do you remember how smart you felt, as a kid, when you figured out what was going to happen next in a story? With toddlers, it’s important to include books that contain repetitions, as they mature, add predictable and rhyming books. Read stories again and again. Your toddler enjoys repetition and it helps them become familiar with the way stories are organized.

2. Use Expressions & Rhymes: The beauty of reading with children is that you won’t be reading to a peanut gallery of harsh critics – release your inhibitions! Read with expression using different voices for different characters. This change in tone can help keep the child engaged and also teaches the art of storytelling – which is one of the benefits of our hands-free video storytelling platform! Toddlers also love rhythms and rhymes in stories, give them opportunities throughout the story to repeat rhyming phrases. Better yet, add a tune to it.

3. Have Child Repeat: Encourage your child to repeat what you say or comment on it and
encourage them to ask questions. Provide models of interesting questions and examples of possible answers. “I wonder where they are going to next? I think the bear will trip in the rock because he is not paying attention to where he is going. What do you think?”. Also encourage your child to make paying attention to where he is going. What do you think?”. Also encourage your child to make up next steps in the story, such as- “what would you like to see happen next”? This is the spark that storytelling causes in an imagination!

4. Make it a Routine/Habit: Make reading a habit for bedtime, after lunch, or after naptime. Research abounds on the benefits of daily reading for a child’s foundation of literacy for life. Combine reading with an encounter with relatives that are distant for uber-enhanced bonding! Bedtime stories happen every night, so pick one night a week and your child will begin to look forward to this reading time on the computer (or tablet) – as will the family member committed to this time with the child. You can even calendar the reading day so that they know when it is coming. Have them put stickers on each reading day so they can see when it is happening. Kids often approach the habit of reading as a chore, so by integrating it with computer privileges makes it cool and the storytelling dynamic teaches them about creativity.that has

Celebrate Read Across CA w/ Some of Our Favs

Opinions Are Like Belly Buttons…

…everybody has one. That said; here are some of our opinions on what you shouldn’t miss when choosing a FREE story to read this weekend! Yes, all “Webtime Stories” are FREE all weekend long in celebration of Read Across California. What’s your cup of tea? Clever & funny? Educational? Short and sweet? Let us help you get the ball rolling.

What’s more clever than a send up of the classic Poe short story  ”The Tell-Tale Heart”? Author Natalie Rompella adapts the theme and tells the VERY amusing story of:

“Edgar, Allen and Poe and the Tell-Tale Beets” Cleverly written by Natalie Rompella; colorfully illustrated by Francois Ruyer.

 

 

 

Here are 2 more clever stories for your consideration:

“When Pigs fly”   by Valerie Coulman / Illustrated by Roge

“Hot Hands and the Weirdo Winter”                     by Derrick Brown /                                       Illustrated by Matthew Carver

Want to make your storytelling experience short and sweet? Might I recommend…

“Animals Are Sleeping” by Suzanne Slade
Illustrated by Gary R. Phillips

“Too Many Kitties” by Jeff Clineff            Illustrated by Marina Movshina

“What If the Moon” by Tracy Ahrens     Illustrated by Tracy Ahrens

 

 

 

 

Educational books are, more often than not, quite clever and engaging. Here are 3 winners that will keep any kid’s gray matter engaged and maturing.

“Meet the Planets” by John McGranaghan / Illustrated by Laurie Allen Klein

“If You Were a Parrot” by Katherine Rawson / Illustrated by Sherry Rogers

“My Half Day” by Doris Fisher and Dani Sneed / Illustrated by Karen Lee

And hey, if you’re feeling overwhelmed by too many choices, let me remind you that throughout the month of March you can buy one story and get one FREE! Perfect time to “Dog-ear” a story using the link, right on the book page. Then it will be saved to your Account for your next visit.  As easy as PIE!

But don’t take our word for it. Dive into the great, big pool of stories and see for yourself.

Happy storytelling!

Celebrate Read Across California!

Did you know that Be There Bedtime Stories is based in California? Did you know that California just passed a statewide resolution to celebrate the entire month of March as Read Across CA Month? Did you know that the kickoff on March 2nd is in conjunction with Read Across America Day AND Dr. Seuss‘ birthday?

We value the many partnerships that we have with leading literacy organizations throughout the US! So when we heard about the legislation marking March as Read Across California month, we were thrilled about a campaign that was planning to promote reading 30 minutes a day for 30 days. What better way to keep the activity of reading fresh and fun, and to share with others, than to read aloud in front of your webcam!

We’re passionate about literacy and proud to be Californians - which is why we’re celebrating this new holiday month with special discounts all month long. Heck, we even developed the ReadAcrossCA.org website! Here’s how reading with Webtime Stories™ helps:

• A United States Department of Education analysis found that children who were read to at least three times a week by a family member were almost twice as likely to score in the top 25 percent in reading than children who were read to less than three times a week.
• Reading out loud to children increases their interest in mastering reading and exposes children to proper vocabulary, grammar, and phrasing, and enhances the development of their own reading skills.
• The Public Policy Institute of California’s report, “Lessons in Reading Reform: Finding What Works” (2010), highlights the fact that struggling elementary and middle school pupils who are given extra time for reading can make sizable gains in literacy.
• According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) 1994 Reading Assessment, 87 percent of pupils who reported reading for fun on their own time once a month or more performed at the proficient level, while 13 percent of pupils who reported never or hardly ever reading for fun performed at the basic level.

Source: Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 62 (ACR 62) Relative to Read Across California Month 

Reading Webtime Stories™ is a great way to engage with multi media while still reaping the benefits of reading aloud, to build literacy. Take a look around the bookstore and dog-ear books to your account to record during the month of March, so you can take advantage of the promotional discounts we’ll be offering all month long.

After all, a kids college transcripts depend on it!

6 Things To Do When Reading Aloud to a Child

1) Add dimension and Props- When reading to a child electronically make sure that you add a few props to go with the story. You can also end the story by sharing a food related item, for example when you are reading a book that is based on cookies throughout the story (ex: When You Give a Mouse a Cookie), enjoy a cookie on your end while the child enjoys the same yummy snack from their end. 

2) Bring The Author to Life- Before you read the book online, take a few moments to learn about the author or illustrator. Many authors/illustrators have uploaded content to our website, just click their name from their book page to read a short bio and explore their social media links.  If for some reason you can’t find the info here on Be There Bedtime Stories, do a Google search.

3) Read The Book to Yourself First- Take an extra five minutes and browse through the book by yourself first.  This advanced reading will help you refine the story so that you can leave out material you might want to shorten or possibly even emphasize. This can also help you read through the book with ease, once you have had a “practice” reading.

4) Slow Your Reading- The most common mistake in reading aloud whether the reader is a five year old or ninety-nine is reading too fast. Read slowly enough for the child to build mental pictures of what they just heard you read. Slow down enough for the child to see the pictures on the screen without feeling rushed. If you read too fast, it leaves no time for the child to vocalize and express their thoughts and feelings about the story.

5) Play The Cover Game- the first time you read the book, take some time to discuss the cover illustration, ask the child what they think the story is going to be about based on the front cover illustration. This is a great way to have a deeper conversation outside of the story with the child you are reading to.

6) Say More Than Just Goodnight!-  As you read the story, keep the child involved by occasionally asking them what they think is going to happen next.  This prompts them to use their imagination and gets them thinking about the story on a deeper level. Reference locations or things that you have shared in your experiences with them. For example: if you’re reading a book about the ocean, then recall when they visited you on the west coast last summer. That way, you keep those memories fresh and they have a personal relationship to the content in the book. At the end of the book, remind them about any upcoming visits or refer to something going on in your life that they may be familiar with, such as “I was in my friends garden yesterday and she has daisies, just like the ones that we planted in your garden together last summer!” Take advantage of the video recording and ‘Say More Than Just Goodnight’.

Tips provided by BeThereBedtimeStories.com

Storytellers Unite!

Welcome to the Fabler’s Forum of Be There Bedtime Stories!

We have created this forum to offer a place where you – the Storyteller – can exchange ideas and share about your experience reading really great children’s books!

Tell us about your favorite bedtime story as a child; tell us about your child’s favorite bedtime story; tell us how reading a bedtime story to your family with a webcam has changed your relationship with that child; tell us how reading aloud is important to a child’s development; tell us why you think the cow jumped over the moon; you get the point…

Let’s build a conversation about kids, reading, and what happens when you connect the two!