How to Handle Distractions During Read-aloud Time

You can envision the perfect situation.

You and your child are happily sitting together with a pleasant book in your lap. The snow falls softly outdoors and the smell of cinnamon bread wafts through the house. Your child listens in rapt attention as the story unfolds word by word. You're delighted that your child is so enthralled by the simple story.

Unfortunately, the scenario doesn't always play out that way.

Small children aren’t known for their dedicated attention spans, and even though a child may view reading as a pleasant pastime, paying attention isn’t always a part of the bargain.

To the child’s mind, there are so many interesting things to do at any given time. There are block towers to be constructed, cool insects to be checked out, computer games to be played, and physical feats to be performed. Sometimes all at once! Life is great! And then Mom or Dad brings the child back to the task at hand. “Oh, I’m supposed to be listening to the book?”

Listening comprehension is an essential part of the pre-reading process.

In fact, read-alouds are such a critical piece of your child’s development that we recommend you read aloud to your child for at least twenty minutes a day. Read-aloud time is built right into our All About Reading program, with a prompt in every lesson to remind you.

Good listening comprehension will spill over into good reading comprehension. Read-alouds are so critical to your child’s future reading ability that even if you have no time for any other academic activity today, consider squeezing in twenty minutes of reading time.

So how can you deal with inattention and distractions?

The elimination of legitimate distractions can be an important first step. A television running in the background can be intensely distracting to a young child, especially if the program is one of his favorites. Rather than trying to compete for your child's attention, it's best to turn off the TV or go to another room.

Another common distraction is the telephone. While a ringing phone might not directly pull your child's focus, it will undoubtedly pull yours, so avoid answering or chatting on the phone during reading time. Other distractions like barking dogs, squealing siblings, and other noisy interferences just add to the chaos and can significantly minimize listening comprehension.

Some families find it helpful to set a timer for read-alouds. This way, the child knows that there will be a definite end to the sitting-down-and-listening part of his day. He knows that the timer will go off, reminding Mom or Dad or Sister that book time is over, and the child can propel off like a rocket to his next adventure—although if the timer happens to go off during a suspenseful part of the book, don’t be surprised if even your distractible child begs you to continue reading!

Take into consideration the timing of read-aloud time. Some children have an extra dose of energy right after breakfast, so this wouldn’t be the ideal time to ask them to focus on a storybook. Midafternoon or bedtime may be a better choice.

On the other hand, there are positive distractions that can actually increase and improve listening comprehension.

Some children need to be actively doing something with their hands in order to concentrate. This can be as simple as holding a toy car and spinning the wheels, or as elaborate as building a jigsaw puzzle or coloring with crayons. The point is that some children are so overwhelmed by the act of sitting still and concentrating that they simply cannot sit still, making listening and comprehending nearly impossible.

If allowed to quietly play with something during reading time, a child can expend his or her physical energy in a nonintrusive way and focus on listening to the story. Of course, if the quiet play escalates into a full-fledged game, then attention will wander and any positive listening benefits will be lost. The key is to keep the child engaged in a calming activity during the entire read-aloud time.

Experiment to see what works in your household.

This will be a judgment call for you—some children are helped by keeping their hands busy, while others are distracted in a negative way. Some children are able to focus better in the morning, while others have a calm, receptive mind before bedtime.

By creating an atmosphere that is conducive to listening, you can encourage the development of your child’s listening comprehension—and as one of the Big Five Skills, it’s an important factor in your child’s reading development.