“It is the talk that surrounds the story book reading that gives it power.”
NationalAssociation for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) & International Reading Association
Reading aloud to young children is important, and HOW you share books can make a big difference. Research shows that following these read-aloud practices significantly improves the language skills of children:
1. Have a conversation about a book
- Frequent conversations—back-and-forth exchanges
- Ask questions that require more than one-word answers
2. Model advanced language
- Repeat what your child says and add more to it:
- Provide new information
- Recast what they say with more advanced vocabulary
3. Prompt critical thinking skills
- Ask how and why questions
- Ask children to explain their answers
4. Intentionally build vocabulary
- Reread the same book often
- Stop and explain the meaning of one or two words