How to read a bedtime story - 5 top tips to master bedtime reading

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From Lenny Henry to Dolly Parton, the biggest stars in the world have been queuing up to send little ones to sleep with a CBeebies Bedtime Story.

But you don’t have to be on the Hollywood Walk of Fame to tell a tale to your children at bedtime.

Lenny Henry wearing an orange blazer sat in a yellow wingback chair on the CBeebies Bedtime Story set. — Image caption,
From Lenny, to Tom Hardy and even some of our own Tiny Happy People ambassadors - everyone has a favourite CBeebies Bedtime Story.

Reading to babies and toddlers is a great bonding exercise and helps them prepare to sleep – but it also plays a part in developing their speech and language.

We spoke to speech and language therapist Janet Cooper to find out how you can make the most of your bedtime stories.

1. When to begin

It might feel strange reading a book to your newborn baby, but Janet says it’s never too early to start – in fact, you don’t even need to wait for the baby to arrive.

“Babies can hear from 24 weeks in the womb. It’s good to read out loud to them. It doesn't have to be a children's story, but they relate to that rhythm of your voice from very early on.

They’re never too young to start and they’re also never too old for you to finish!

2. Timing is everything

Whether they’re just a few days old or running round their bedroom putting off sleep, it’s important to find the right time and setting to begin your story.

“Pick your moments,” said Janet. “Don’t try and force storytime on a child who’s feeling overtired, not interested or wants to be more active.”

“Choose the right moment. Downtime is a good time, that’s why bedtime is often perfect, but there might be a time in the day where you just need to sit down together and have a quiet moment. The timing is essential.”

It’s important to remove all distractions as well. If you’re settling down to read the adventures of the Gruffalo, you may struggle to connect with your child if the TV is on, or there’s loud or stimulating music playing.

Make sure they’re comfortable as well. It’s likely that the books you’ll be reading for your child will have pictures, so sit together in a position where they can clearly see them.

Image caption,
Stories aren't just for bedtime - there might be loads of other opportunities during the day to settle down together with a book.

3. Repetition is key

While you might roll your eyes if your child picks the same book for the tenth night in a row, the repetition and familiarity is actually important for their development.

Janet says: “They’re building their vocabulary and starting to understand sentence structures.

“The prediction of the narrative becomes fun, they know what happens next. Children love having a fun time with you as a parent or carer, so when they are familiar with the story, you can change the words to see if they spot it.

“That’s great for their listening skills.”

Janet believes how you tell the story is much more important than the story itself. If a parent feels anxious about reading aloud to their child, you don’t even need to bring a book to bed.

“I find some of the most successful things can be when you just make up stories. Maybe looking at a picture or making up a story that’s a bit of fun. It doesn’t always have to make sense, children just love that time with you.”

4. Keep it entertaining

So, to make sure there’s a fun factor, what can you do? Silly voices aren’t always necessary, but it can be useful to bring a rhythm to your storytelling.

“Not everybody is comfortable being animated, but the more you can put ‘up and down’ into your voice, the better,” said Janet.

“If you go a little flat or monotone, you will find a child’s interest will wander off. But if you’re not comfortable, you don’t have to do a performance, just a bit more emphasis.

“Even the power of things like going into a whisper can be brilliant, because children’s listening can be more switched on when you bring your voice down.”

If you’re comfortable trying new voices, match the characters where you can. Bring in a big, loud voice if a character is a giant, or a tiny, squeaky voice for a mouse.

Not only will it bring a story to life, but the increased interest can help children understand the words as well.

Two dads read a story to their daughter in bed. — Image caption,
If there's more than one adult getting involved at storytime, why not each choose a character to play?

5. Make it interactive

Encourage your child to join in, where they can. Many children’s books have rhyming patterns and as they get older, they may start to remember or anticipate upcoming words.

Involving your child in reading the parts they remember or recognise can help to build their language skills and their confidence.

Your child will also likely have many questions about the book along the way. While an eye may be on the clock and their rapidly approaching bedtime, take time to answer them and encourage their curiosity.

You might want to involve them by asking questions too, but try to make sure it doesn’t feel like a bedtime interrogation.

The choice of book is important as well, as Janet explains.

She said: “From a speech and language therapy point of view, make sure the language is at the right level for the child. If you’re talking at much too high a level, they will lose interest much too quickly, so make sure you’re simplifying sentences to their level.”

If your child isn’t interested at the time, or becomes fed up, it’s fine to end it midway. Janet says the experience should be a positive one and where possible, led by the child.

“Make sure you’ve chosen a book you both enjoy at a time you can both enjoy it. If it’s not fun for you, it’s probably not fun for the child either.

“The more fun you’re having, the more fun your child will have reading it with you. It’s more about the interaction together than the actual story telling.”