How to: Read to a child

Children have a short attention span. This makes it difficult to get them interested in one specific thing for a period of time. Many adults make the mistake of reading to children in the same way they would read to themselves . By reading to fast and do not embody the characters. To read to a child you must be engaging, animated, and have fun with it.  In order for children to pay attention when you read to them you must follow these rules:

1)  Find a book that appeals to the kids: if you choose a book that is boring, doesn't have pictures, and won't capture the interest of children. This will result in distractions within a class room or wherever the setting is.
2) skim through the book before you read it. So you know when to use what voices and animations.
3) make sure you are sitting so that the child can see the pictures 
4) read the title of the book to the child and emphasize it 
5)  read along with your finger so the child can follow with you 
6) have the child read along with you and have them participate
7)  use sound effects throughout the story to hold the child's attention
8) ask the child questions about the story to keep them engaged 
9)change your voice with different characters and change how you sound 

These are the essential steps you need to take to read to a child. Making reading fun for kids will make them want to keep reading as they grow up. If reading is made boring, kids will dread reading.  This is why  I encourage you to get out there and read in a library or to your siblings or kids because it can become really fun for you and the child if.