Dialogic Reading
It’s basically common knowledge that reading is a great way to engage with your kids. But did you know that how you read is just as important as how often you read to your children?
According to Russ Whitehurst, a senior fellow at the Center for Children and Families at the Bookings Institution, over one third of kids entering Kindergarten are underprepared to learn. Much of this has to do not just with how much they have been read to, but also with the ways they have been read as babies and toddlers.
Here’s where the concept of dialogic reading comes into play. Most parents already read to their children — that is, the parent reads and the child listens. However, this passive setup doesn’t benefit children nearly as much as when parents involve them in telling the story. Instead of focusing on telling the story word-for-word, dialogic reading encourages children to interact with the book and develop their curiosity.
According to Whitehurst, a good time to start dialogic reading is when a child turns two. However, reading to a child can be hugely beneficial starting from the day he or she is born. Practicing dialogic reading can make reading time more interactive and beneficial for both parents and children. Fortunately, it’s an easy process to implement — you might already be reading dialogically without even realizing it.
Here are some simple ways to increase you and your toddler’s engagement with a book:
- Ask questions. Remember the who, what, where, why, when, and how family from elementary school? Those question words are great at prompting your child to make plot connections and learn new vocabulary. Try asking, “what is this character’s name?” or, “what is the Little Red Hen baking?”
- Follow up. Rephrase and elaborate your child’s response, and then repeat the original prompt to see if he has learned from your elaboration. If he tells you that the Little Red Hen is baking “bwed,” respond with an affirmation and a continuation: “Yes, she is baking bread. Who do you think will eat the bread?”
- Review the highlights. If this isn’t the first time you’ve read the book, you can ask your daughter if she can remember what happened. By asking questions and continuing the conversation, you show your toddler that you value her opinions and you give her the opportunity to practice the vocabulary she’s learned from the story.
- Reach out. Ask open-ended questions. This is especially helpful when reading picture books with rich illustrations. Try pointing to a cow and asking, “what sound does the cow make?” or, “what is the cow doing right now?” A great question to ask is simple: “what’s happening in this picture?” This question forces little ones to pay attention to detail and exercise their growing vocabulary.
- Explore. Try connecting certain plot points to real-life events. For example, if you’re reading a book about a playground, you could ask your toddler something like, “Remember when we went to the park and went on the swings and the slide?”
The most important piece to remember is that reading should always be fun. You don’t need to ask questions about every page of a book; instead, focus on keeping reading time enjoyable. Choose books and topics that interest your toddler — and remember, illustrations are just as important as text.
When children associate reading with enjoyment, they are more likely to continue to read as they grow up. And dialogic reading works. According to Whitehurst, children who are read to dialogically consistently show greater language development progress and vocabulary acquisition than those who are not.
This piece was originally posted at VersaMe.com. VersaMe created the Starling the world’s first wearable engagement tracker that helps encourage and reinforce positive parenting behaviors.
