Megan's top tips for reading a picture book aloud
Get ready for ALIA National Simultaneous Storytime, 11am, 24 May 2023
Are you ready for ALIA National Simultaneous Storytime (NSS) this week?
Held annually by the Australian Library and Information Association, NSS is a celebration of reading and literacy. Every year, one picture is chosen to be read aloud simultaneously in schools, libraries, pre-schools, childcare centres, family homes, bookshops and many other laps and corners across the country.
How does ALIA decide which book will be read?
According to their website, alongside practical considerations (see link for details), ALIA uses the following criteria to choose the picture book for NSS:
•a positive storyline
• appeal to a modern and diverse audience
•suitability for read-aloud (language and length)
•how well the book lends itself to craft and other activities
This year, the picture book that will be read at 11am on Wednesday 24 May is The Speedy Sloth by Rebecca Young, illustrated by Heath McKenzie.
It’s not just what you read…
Anyone who’s ever read a picture book aloud to a group of children, however, will know that engaging and entertaining them is not just WHAT you read – it’s HOW you read it.
If you’re limbering up your best ‘reading aloud’ voice for the big day, take some tips from Megan Daley for keeping your audience interested and invested.
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Your Kid's Next Read to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.