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Reading with kids is an important step toward getting them ready to read on their own

Shared Reading

Share a Book Together

As you read a book aloud, encourage your child to participate — make it interactive! Shared book reading is one of the most important ways adults can help children get ready to learn to read.

There are many ways to share a book with a child:

  • Encourage your child to turn the pages.

  • Focus on the text.

    • Point to words in repeated phrases

    • What does the font or layout of the text tell you?

    • What letters do you notice?

  • Help your child tell a story from the pictures.

  • Look at the pictures on one page. What do they make you and your child think about? Talk about them together.

  • Read the story straight through to get the flow of the story. There may be short interactions with your child.

  • Encourage your child join in with a repeated word or phrase.

  • When reading books with repeated phrases or actions, or rhyming books, stop before the end of a line and let your child finish it.

  • Ask questions to involve your child: "What do you think is happening here?"

  • Ask open-ended questions: "What would you do if that happened to you? How would you feel? Why do you think happened?"Sharing a book with a child is different from reading TO a child

  • Talk about or explain words your child does not know.

  • Give your child time to ask questions or make comments.

  • After reading the book, talk about what happened first, in the middle, last.

  • Ask questions that prompt your child to reflect on the story. Examples:

    • How would you have solved this problem?

    • Now that you know what happened, why do you think the character acted that way?

    • How was the story different from what you thought would happen?

Guidelines from: Saroj Ghoting, www.earlylit.net

Ready for more? Check out MemFox's Ten Read Aloud Commandments, simple every child ready to read logoand important advice from a leading children's author!

This Month's Featured Reads!

LCPL staff have selected these books because kids love them and they help build important pre-reading skills. Check them out today!

Want more hand-picked kids' books? You can request a surprise bag of kids' books for curbside pickup! 

book cover Title:
Boop! by Bea Birdsong, illus. by Linzie Hunter

Skills:
• Print Awareness
• Vocabulary
• Background Knowledge

Practices:
• Talking
• Reading
• Playing

Extend the book by booping a dog's nose! (With permission!)


Book Cover Title:
What's Your Name? by Bethanie Deeney Murguia

Skills:
• Print Awareness
• Letter Knowledge
• Vocabulary

Practices:
• Playing
• Talking
• Singing
• Writing

Extend the Book with a cloud and rainbow spelling craft!
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New at LCPL

Looking for something new? These titles have just hit our shelves!