What is the practice?
Sharing, reading, and looking at the pages of a picture book with your preschooler, and engaging her by asking questions about the book helps prepare her to read. The more books you read to your child, the more comfort- able she will be with them. Providing your preschooler with books on topics that interest her and sharing in reading experiences that engage her will encourage her to develop a love for books and reading. Reading storybooks with children is an important activity for later reading success.
What does the practice look like?
Let your preschooler choose a picture book for you to read to her. Find a comfortable place where the two of you can sit together to look at the pictures. Spark her in- terest in the book by actively involving her in the storytell- ing process. Let your child ask questions and encourage her to point to the pictures in the story. Ask her questions about the pictures and help make connections between the pictures in the books and her own experiences.
How do you do the practice?
Provide your preschooler with a variety of picture books to choose from and let her pick out the book she wants to read.
How do you know the practice worked?
- Does your preschooler show greater interest in reading?
- Does your preschooler have a favorite book, one that she wants you to reread again and again?
- Does your preschooler retell stories while looking at the books?
- Ask “wh-” questions: Asking your child questions as you read helps her think about and understand the story. Start by identifying what is going on in the pictures (“What is this dog doing?”) and agreeing with and expanding on her answers (“That’s right; that dog is chasing a cat! What do you think that cat is trying to do?”). You can also relate the book to your child’s own experiences (“Our dog likes to chase cats too, doesn’t he? What else does he like to chase?”).
- Reread and retell: Rereading the same book helps your child become familiar with the story while helping her learn to connect the words that are being said out loud with the words she is seeing on the page. Once your child becomes familiar with the story, encourage her to retell it in her own way, using the pictures and her memory. Encourage and praise her attempts even if her version is different from the original.
Take a look at more reading together
Shared Reading
Four-year-old Tremain loves animals. His mom found a word book at the public library that is flled with pictures of animals. Tremain loves looking at this book and will spend time looking carefully at each page. He likes to have his mom read the book to him. When he asks her to read it to him she always says, “Only if you will help me with some of the names.” Tremain likes to help and he readily agrees. Tremain’s mom points to and names some of the types of animals and then asks her son to help name the rest.
Picture Reading
After going to the grocery store with her mom, four-year-old Kristen brings her mom a word book to look at. “Mommy, this book has pictures of the grocery store. Read it to me?” It is right before dinner so her mother replies, “Okay, but I need to fnish making dinner, so I might need your help reading. Why don’t you start, Kristen, by telling me what you see on this page?” “Okay,” says Kristen, “there are oranges and apples and lettuce, but what’s this, mommy?” “That’s an artichoke. Next time we are in the grocery store I will show you one,” her mom says.
Favorite Words & Signs
Noah is hearing impaired. When his parents read to him, which usually occurs before bed, they sign and point to the pictures in the book. Noah always picks out a book he would like for his parents to read to him. Noah’s favorite book is a book with a label under every picture in the book. Both Noah’s mom and dad have read this book to Noah many times. He likes all of the pictures and he likes that each picture has a name. Sometimes when reading Noah’s mom will say, “Show me your favorite picture on this page.” Noah will point to a picture and sign the name. Noah’s mom will then ask, “why is that picture your favorite?” Noah will then sign why he likes the picture best. He enjoys spending this special one-on-one time with his parents.
