finger, talk about what you see. Try asking 4. Ask questions. Be an example of an
what your child notices and use that to build inquisitive mind, but avoid sounding like
a conversation. If you can, introduce a new it’s a quiz or test—they have lots of time
word based on what he or she points to or for those later on. Explore open-ended
seems drawn to. questions about your child’s predictions,
2. Make connections. If a certain part of
the story reminds you of a person, place or
experience in your child’s life, mention it! An
example may be, “The girl is going to the zoo.
Do you remember the animals we saw at the
zoo?” Try to draw comparisons; this piques
their interest and makes reading fun.
3. Compliment and praise. Your child’s self-
esteem related to his or her reading is very
important, and it’s developed early. Build
them up by saying they’re doing a great
job of listening, thinking and noticing key
information in the story. This helps establish
positive feelings and memories around
reading.
feelings or observations on the story. Ask
things like “What do you see on this page?”
or “I wonder what will happen next?”
or “I wonder how he is feeling after that
happened?” to spark conversation.
These are not “one size fits all” suggestions—there
is freedom to start all kinds of engaging talks with
your child based on the book, their mood and
their age. Whatever works for you and your child
is what’s best. And remember, it’s never too early
to read, play, talk.
Source: The Incredible Years, Carolyn Webster-
Stratton, Ph.D. For more information, visit
www.incredibleyears.com
To access more resources, like “Read Play Talk” on
Facebook.
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