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3. As you read be expressive. Read slowly and with a great deal of animation. Match your voice and facial expressions to the character that is speaking. Be sure to show the pictures while you read the book. During the first reading of a book, stop only once or twice for reactions, predictions about what will happen next, comments, or questions. (During the first reading of a book you want most of the discussion to take place after the story is finished.) Later when you are re-reading the same book, you should take time to stop and engage children in discussion as you go through the book.
    
   Re-reading familiar books will also provide an opportunity for teachers to show children how books and print work. In addition, reading the same book several times increases children’s participation in the reading process. Children learn repeated phrases or, predictable repetitive sentence structures when books are read aloud repeatedly. You can also show children important features of books such as where the title is, and important features of print, such as where to start reading and what to do when you come to the end of a line; how to point to the words while reading; and what specific letters, words, or punctuation marks look like. Be sure to focus on only a few concepts at a time.
    
4. After reading, ask your students a question that asks them to share what they understood about the story. The first question you ask should be related to the purpose that was set for listening before you began to read the book. Keep in mind that the most successful and engaging read-alouds for preschoolers take place in small groups of four to eight children. When you are reading to a larger group (which of course you will do on occasion), you are more focused on keeping students still and quiet and not disrupting the flow of the story. Smaller groups lend themselves to increased participation and discussion by every child. Smaller groups are even more important for students who have had few experiences with books or who are learning to speak English.

Access to Print: The Role of the Daily Schedule and Classroom Environment in Providing Positive Experiences

The daily schedule, room arrangement, and available materials strongly influence children’s motivation to read and to interact with books. While more details will be provided about this when we discuss the emergent literacy environment, keep in mind three things: Include daily engaging and inviting read-aloud times.   Make books accessible and available to children.   Celebrate all attempts to read and interact with books!