| When dads read aloud to them, children are | | | | addition to their ideas about language points to |
| learning many different things. They are learning | | | | raise, dads should respond to children's questions |
| about the world, they are learning to love books | | | | about language. Here are some language features |
| and reading, and they are learning about language. | | | | they can teach while reading aloud: |
| This learning about language occurs mainly as | | | | * Individual letters, spelling and phonics |
| children hear, see and understand the language as | | | | * If the book has rhymes, dads can talk about |
| it is used. This is a kind of subconscious learning | | | | rhyming and encourage children to make up more |
| that takes place naturally. Dads do not need to do | | | | rhymes of their own |
| anything special. They just have a good time on | | | | * Punctuation, such as after they have read aloud |
| the read aloud journey that we and the children | | | | a question, dads can talk about question marks |
| have embarked on. | | | | and why they are used instead of full stops |
| No need to push the teaching, it happens naturally | | | | * The parts of a book, for example, stories |
| However, in addition to this subconscious, natural | | | | normally begin with a setting that tells readers |
| language learning that goes on during reading | | | | about who is involved and where and when the |
| aloud, dads can also promote conscious language | | | | story takes place, followed by some kind of |
| learning by calling children's attention to specific | | | | conflict that confronts the main character(s), and |
| language features in the book or whatever that | | | | finally a resolution of some kind to the conflict |
| they are reading aloud. Before explaining some | | | | * Grammar, for example, noticing why past tense |
| ways to do this teaching, let us emphasize | | | | is used in some places while present tense is used |
| caution. Do not overdo the teaching. Keep reading | | | | in other places in the book or in other book |
| aloud enjoyable. Please. | | | | * Vocabulary, for example, in Hazel's Puppy, a |
| What to teach | | | | page at the end of the book lists six words and |
| What dads teach will depend on the reading level | | | | definitions which dads could highlight while reading. |
| of the children they are reading to. Also, in | | | | |