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Talking About Books

Talking About Books at Home
talking
 
One of the best things parents can do to assist their children with reading is to engage them in talking about the books they read. Talking stimulates language development and helps children improve their comprehension.
 
As you get ready to share a book with your child, you might ask your child to talk about the cover, the title and a few pictures in the book. This "before-reading" conversation will help your child to build the expectation that stories make sense. This is also a good time to help your child connect personal experiences to the reading. If there is a picture showing a picnic, for example, this would be a perfect time to talk with your child about a picnic you enjoyed together.
 
You can also invite your child into conversation during the reading by stopping now and then to ask, "What might happen next?"
 
As you know, children love to share their opinions. After reading you might get your child started talking about the book with questions such as:
  • What did you notice?
  • What did you like?
  • How did it make you feel?
  • Did this remind you of any experiences you have had?
  • What part of the story were your favorites?