What do you think happens when you read out a book to your kids? Your kid will pick of lots of skills from stories which will never be taught in the classroom. It will enrich your child’s vocabulary, broaden their understanding of the world and refine their listening, reading and writing skills and much more. The list of benefits is endless! If you are concerned about your child’s knowledge on bedtime stories but don’t know what to read to them, then here are some suggestions:
Arabian Nights
1. Arabian Nights
This is one book that you just can’t miss out on reading aloud to your kids. The Arabian Nights is a collection of stories that will expose your child to historical tales, love stories, magicians, poems, comedies and tragedies. Believe us; even you will love the story-within-story format of this collection. We are damn sure that your child will gape in wonder and amusement when he/she listens to all the beautiful tales narrated by Sherezade, the princess.
Aesop's Fables
2. Aesop's Fables
How do you like the idea of reading out very simple stories to your child if you want to give them some moral values without sounding too preachy? We think it’s a lovely idea and Aesop’s Fables will help you do it. This collection of stories is so old that many generations have grown up on it. Buy the edition which has large pictures and show it to your child whilst you are reading it out. We suggest you also ask your child to start reading it by himself/herself, bit by bit. This classic is a great way to start practising reading. Our personal favourite stories to read out would be ‘The Fox and the Grapes’, ‘The Tortoise and the Hare’ and ‘The Boy Who Cried Wolf’. We just love the way these stories get imprinted on the minds of children until they grow old!
Shakespeare for Children
3. Shakespeare for Children
Who said that Shakespeare is only about dated stories and difficult language? That’s an absolute myth. We recommend you get special versions of Shakespeare for kids in which the stories and words are simplified to your child’s age. In fact, your kids will find ‘As You Like It’, ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ and the ‘Merchant of Venice’ so interesting that they’ll want to read more. If you’re reading aloud Shakespeare’s sonnets to your children then it’ll surely lull them to sleep – in a nice way, we mean! Don’t bother about your child understanding the meaning of the sonnets or not – the soothing effect will last for a long time.
Haroun and the Sea of Stories
4. Haroun and the Sea of Stories
Okay, don’t get scared because we are recommending Salman Rushdie to your child! This is a special book by Rushdie written in such a way that kids will love it and adults will be able to see a deeper meaning in it. The stories themselves are in oral form. We are sure your child will just love it! The novel is basically about a father-son relationship, but it takes you into the magical world of storytelling.
Gulliver’s Travels
5. Gulliver’s Travels
How proud would you be if your child could tell his/her friends that they’ve read a book which is universally popular and has never been out of print till date! Yep – this phenomenal classic written by Jonathan Swift which even you must have read as a child. Read aloud the adventures and misadventures of the giant Gulliver and his dwarfs to your kids. Introduce your child to the imaginary world of Lilliputs. You know what is the biggest quality you will nurture in your child by reading this book aloud? The power of imagination!
The unfortunate reality is that some parents actually might be busy, way too busy to actually read to their children every day. Trust us, your presence and quality time spent with your child will work wonders in his/her upbringing. The book may finish now, but the memories will last a lifetime!
