Tips for Reading With Your Child
Tips for Reading With Your Child
1. Find a comfortable place where you and your child can sit together. Let the book become a bridge between both laps.
2. Talk about the front and back cover illustrations and the title. Predict what you think the story might be about or ask a question and think aloud saying, "I wonder if the story will answer my question."
3. Take a few minutes and encourage your child to talk about some of the pictures in the book. Your child might simply point to what he or she sees or make a connection to something similar that happened.
4. Encourage your child to predict what will happen next by stopping occasionally and saying, "What do you think will happen?" Allow lots of time for an answer. If none comes, then you can offer a prediction. Repeating this process will help your child know what to do.
5. Make understanding the story your focus. Every few pages, stop and retell what happened. Talk about the characters and what they do. Then, invite your child to help you retell small sections. Your child will let you know when he or she is ready to retell an entire section.
6. Connect a character or an event from the story to your child's life or your life. Clearly explain the connection and ask your child if he or she wants to add anything.
7. Point to the words as you read. This helps your child understand that print contains the story, and that we read from left to right.
8. Ask questions and give your child thinking time to figure out an answer. If your child doesn't answer after a minute or so, say, "Here's what I was thinking..."
9. Choose books with your child at the public library or bookmobile.
10. Read aloud at bedtime and if possible, during the day.
11. Have a great time together and send the message that reading is fun!