Getting kids to sit still and pay attention to a book can be an exercise in futility. It can frustrate the most patient of parents, especially if, like me, you’re a lover of books and want to share that same passion with your kids.
I’ve tried dozens of things to get my hyperactive kids to pay attention during story time, and below are some of my most-successful.
- Be silly.
This is my number one tip, and one of the hardest for a non-performer like me. Kids love silly voices. They love loud noises. They love overly-dramatic readings. The more emphasis, sound effects, and drama you put into your reading, the more engaged they get. Don’t be afraid to make up sound effects that don’t appear in the text. (This is also very hard for me–I’m more of a “text purist,” so if it doesn’t appear in the text, I don’t want to add it or change it in.) For example, if you’re reading about thunder, make a thunder sound. If dinosaurs are stomping across the page, stomp your feet. It will catch your kid’s attention.
Reading out loud to your kids is not the time to be shy. Growing up, I was never one for silly voices or imitating voices, but my kids don’t care that I’m not a professional voice actor. They want different characters to have different voices, even if they (feel) stupid or bad. My southern accent is horrifically bad, but my kids don’t notice. They just know that the cowboy character sounds different from the butterfly. - Ask questions while you read.
I picked up this tip while attending a Mommy and me class. When you notice your kid’s attention starting to wane, ask them something about what you just read. Whether it’s a question testing their listening comprehension, “Where did the kids go?” Or a question engaging their thinking skills, “She stole that little boy’s toy! Was that a nice thing to do?” Asking kids questions while you read will draw their attention back to you. - Make them participate in the story.
A snake crawls on its belly. “Can you crawl like a snake?” The dinosaurs engaged in a fierce battle with the cavemen. “Roar like a dinosaur!” The two kids become friends. “Here’s the ASL sign for ‘friends.’ Can you sign friends?”
Let the story take as long as it takes. (This is hard for impatient people like me.) Give your kids opportunities to act out or imitate what you just read. It gives them a chance to stop sitting still for a minute, and brings them back into the story.
I have also found some success (~30%) with having them draw something related to what I just read. “Ooo, a haunted house! Can you draw a haunted house?” Or, “Look at all the butterflies! Can you draw a butterfly?” My kids like this better when I give them things I don’t usually give them, like tempera paint sticks. - Read when they’ll let you.
My kids are hyperactive. They don’t like to sit still. They don’t like to pay attention. The exception is before bed. Even though we read every morning, they really only like to sit and listen to books at bedtime. So at night before bed is when we get the bulk of our reading done.
We’ve also read during breakfast and during snack time. They’re busy eating, so less likely to run away and go find a toy to play with. - Repeat books to instill a lesson.
Even if your kid didn’t pay much attention during the first read-through, sometimes a second read-through will catch their attention. I’ve had this happen a couple of times. There were some books I thought had lessons I wanted my kids to really grasp, and even though on the first reading they didn’t seem to listen, the second time we read them (the next day or a couple of days later), they were answering questions and asking questions of their own. Maybe it’s the familiarity. - Incorporate a new book with old favorites.
I love library day. I will read through every new book in a single sitting. My kids, however, don’t want that much newness all at the same time. We’ve found better success reading one new book every night and letting them each pick one for bedtime as well. This way we incorporate a new book with something they already love, exposing them to new literature without overwhelming them. - Make books come alive.
Read a book about the water cycle? Make your own water cycle experiment! Read a book about birds? Go outside and search for birds. Read about building a bridge? Give them some sticks and stones and build one!
Even if they didn’t pay much attention during the reading of the book, you can still incorporate the lesson you want them to learn. And who knows? Maybe they’ll be more interested in a second read-through! - Summarize the moral or lesson.
Self-help books that make you go, “That was so obvious!” Or, “That’s just common sense!” get printed and are popular for a reason. Sometimes we need someone to spell something out for us. Don’t be afraid to explicitly state for your child what the moral or lesson of a story is. (I struggle with this, because I want them to figure it out for themselves!) Explain why you read them the story and what you want them to take away from it.
I hope some of these tips are useful for you. Happy reading!
KC Aubin 