Create a reading-friendly environment. Choose a quiet, comfortable place to read to your child, whether it's your bed, the living room couch, or a big beanbag chair. Eliminate distractions such as the TV, phone, and radio. Your child needs time to process what he's hearing. Tracy Heffernan, mother of two and coordinator of the San Francisco chapter of BookPALS, an organization that enlists trained actors for volunteer read-aloud events, says this is probably the most important thing parents can do to engage their child's attention.
Long pauses can add suspense, keeping little listeners glued to the story.
Make her sound like Dorothy's nemesis in The Wizard of Oz . Imitate the sounds they make. But hearing Mommy or Daddy talk like a horse is guaranteed to make your child smile and engage him more deeply in the story. If you're reading Esphyr Slobodkina's classic Caps for Sale , pile old hats on your head. If your choice is Robert McCloskey's Blueberries for Sal , have a bowl of berries nearby.