GOOD READERS AREN’T BORN, THEY’RE MADE

Parents watch their children act out at home and immediately believe they will be good actors. While sometimes that’s true, most people find out it’s not just about how to perform a line they may have seen one of their favorite stars say on television. Simply put, all these actors are good readers. Good acting starts with good reading skills. All over the country, agents, managers and production companies look for actors that can perform their productions as they envisioned it. Thousands of actors attempt to get the parts. How do these people determine WHO will get the part? By having them read. Actors usually have do either a cold read or they have received sides from their manager or agent and are expected to perform those pieces when they arrive. Being able to read with expression usually goes a long way to helping the actors compete for the part.

Children learn from what we do and if YOU read with expression, chances are your child will too.

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT

So how does one prepare children to be good readers? A great way to start is to read stories to your child. Children learn from what we do and if YOU read with expression, chances are your child will too. One way to succeed in this is to take turns reading the same story. This is especially good for preschoolers who thrive on imitation. When you read the story 4 days in a row and offer your child the option to read the story to you, the child will begin the process of being expressive with their “reading” even if they can’t read at that time. The more support programs you have around the child such as computer apps, educational tv, and preschool programs, the faster their make believe reading will become the real thing. With this much practice, when they see a script and have an idea of how the character should be played, experience will help them deliver the lines. Classes such as Ready, Set, Act are very helpful in helping your child work on expression and reading skills. Combined with a little bit of home reading everyday, you will see a drastic improvement in your child’s reading AND acting. Besides the fact that you are helping your child get ready for a career in the arts, reading to them is a wonderful way to bond. Taking time to do this with them yields personal benefits and as an actor, may yield professional success!