Reading to Your Child

Picture book reading provides children with many of the skills necessary for school readiness. How we read to children is as important as how often we read to them. Voice fluctuation and interaction are just a few examples on how to keep a childs interest in a story. Children learn more from books when they are actively involved.

Dialogic Reading is a method that helps young children become involved in the story. The following steps will help you and your child be active partners in reading picture books together.

• Ask "what" questions - Point to the item in the book and say, "What's this?" or "What's this called?" Avoid questions that your child can answer with a "yes" or "no", or by pointing.
   
• Follow answers with questions - When your child names an object, ask a question about it. For example, "What color is the truck?" or "What is the dog doing?"
   
• Repeat what your child says - Let your child know his or her answer is correct by repeating it back to them.
   
• Help your child as needed - If your child is not able to answer your question, give the correct answer and ask him or her to repeat what you have said.
   
• Praise and encourage - Tell your child when he or she is doing well. For example, "Good Job" or "That's right!"
   
• Follow your child's interests - If your child shows an interest in a picture either by talking or pointing to it, follow it up immediately by asking questions to let your child talk.
   
• Most importantly...Have Fun! - Try to keep your reading times fun and like a game. One way to do this is to switch between asking questions and just plain reading.