Ask Prof Mike: Being noisy in the library and reading stories like a CBeebies presenter...

Published on: 31 July 2022

Every month, Writer in Residence Michael Rosen will answer your burning questions about encouraging strong reading habits in children.

Should I take my kids to the library even though I think they’ll just run around, pull the books off the shelves and be noisy?

There are right and wrong ways to behave in a public library. We can be relaxed but it's not right that a child just tears about pulling books off the shelf. You need to be kind, model how we behave in libraries, encourage your child to choose a book to look at with you - or with anyone else. Try to go to Storytime where they'll learn how to sit with other children and listen to a story. Remember, these kinds of behaviour all need to be learnt. We don't do them naturally.

When I read a book to my kids, do I have to perform the book like a CBeebies presenter?

No, no, no! They are trained actors. We can read the book in any way we want. I would say that it's a good idea to read them slowly and clearly. That's my only tip. As you get confident, you might want to try out a few voices, but I can tell you my children used to tell me NOT to do voices!