Tips for Reading with Children

Reading with children helps them to increase their vocabularies, learn the relationship between sounds and the written word, and explore a variety of places and situations.

To make the most of your reading time together:

• Get comfortable and cozy when you read

• Select books with clear and colorful pictures

• Make sure to hold the book so your child can see

• Change your voice to reflect the sound of different characters

• Pause to ask what your child thinks will happen

• Read favorite books often

• Encourage your child to "read" to you, using the pictures and imagination

Book suggestions made by Cleveland Reads

 

Before reading the book

• First, seat the child on your left. When you're pointing to pictures or text you won't obscure the illustration or the words.

• Review the cover and predict what might happen in the book.

• Ask questions to spark interest by making personal connections.

• Preview the book by taking a “picture walk.” Look at the pictures together without reading the written words.

• Brainstorm! What does the child know about the topic?

• Identify the genre, or type text, that is, a play, a poem, fantasy, fiction, etc.

• Review unfamiliar vocabulary used in the text.

While Reading

• Ask a few questions to check for comprehension.

• Have the child summarize the action or main points from time to time throughout the text.

• If applicable, ask for predictions and compare to previous predictions. Have ideas about what’s going to happen changed? If yes, why?

• Ask the child to make personal connections to the story. (Example: Did they ever take a trip? Have they ever had the same feelings as the characters in the story?)

After reading the book

• Ask inferential questions. What do you think would have happened if…?

• Ask the child to retell the story in his/her own words.

• Keep a record of new vocabulary words.

• Have the child summarize the story.

• Discuss sequence. What happened first? Next? Then? Last?

Reading Level

When you read with a child you want to make sure the book is at the correct level. You do not want the book to be too easy or too challenging because the child may loose interest or become frustrated.

The reading level is correct when the child:

• Does not know a few of the words

• Reads most of the passage in a fluent manner

• Understands most of what they read

• Gets a degree of satisfaction and enjoyment from the reading