How to use the online timer
Fifteen minutes of reading aloud covers a picture book comfortably or a chapter of something longer, and it is long enough to be a proper part of the evening rather than a token gesture. The reading is only half of what is happening: the undivided attention of an adult for a quarter of an hour is doing as much as the book, which is why the same fifteen minutes with a phone in the other hand is worth considerably less.
Interruptions are the point rather than a nuisance. A child who stops to ask what a word means, points at a detail in a picture or predicts what happens next is doing the thing that builds comprehension, and pressing on to reach the end of the chapter uninterrupted teaches less. Reading with different voices, however unconvincing, holds attention far better than a flat delivery.
Just before bed is the traditional slot for good reason, since it doubles as the calm end of the evening. Letting the child choose the book, even when it is the same one for the ninth night running, keeps the fifteen minutes theirs; repetition is how young children learn language, and the tedium is entirely the adult's problem. Older children benefit from being read to long after they can read alone.
Common questions
Should I stop the child interrupting the story?
No, the interruptions are where much of the value is. Questions, pointing at pictures and guessing what happens next build comprehension more than an uninterrupted read-through does.
They want the same book every night. Is that a problem?
Not at all. Repetition is how young children learn language, and letting them choose keeps the fifteen minutes theirs. The tedium is entirely the adult's problem.
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