Jj is for Jottings 96.  Interactive Reading With Children.

There is a difference between reading to children and reading with children.  Reading TO children is just that – reading a story without any sort of discussion or interaction.  (For disquieting statistics on reading to children, see here.)  On the other hand, interactive reading with children, or reading WITH children, is an active process rather than a passive one.  In this case, you are encouraging the child to think, predict, remember and discuss the story, and other related topics may also arise.  Therefore it has all the benefits of reading to children, plus many more.

BENEFITS OF READING TO CHILDREN.

When we read to children every day, they learn all sorts of things.  These are some of the benefits:

• they learn to follow words along the page from left to right and to turn pages (It’s amazing how many children beginning school can’t handle a book.)

• children learn vocabulary and new concepts
• they learn new grammar
• they hear clearly articulated sounds and words
• children hear about new ideas, places, people, cultures and situations
• they hear language used in more sophisticated ways
• they learn to sit still and concentrate for increasing periods of time
• children learn to listen
• it develops imagination and creativity
• it helps them to understand and relate to emotions
• a story is entertaining (hopefully for both of you)
• the time spent together creates a bond between parent and child.

READING WITH CHILDREN – WHAT TO DO.

Here are some questions you can ask before, during and after reading the book:

• Look at the cover. ‘What do you think this book might be about?
• Factual questions:
  • check which facts from the story the children remember, for example: ‘Where does the Lion live?’ or ‘Who ate the bears’ porridge?
  • check whether children are understanding the story, for example: ‘How do you know that?’, ‘But who was it this time?’
  • ‘What is happening in the pictures?’
• Invitations:
  • invite children to reflect or interpret
  • For example:  ‘What do you think is happening here?’, ‘How do you think the Lion is feeling?’, or ‘Oh no! What’s happening now?’ ‘Why do you think he did that?’
• Encouragements:
  • use open questions to encourage children to share their ideas
  • For example:  ‘What else could she do?’ or ‘What do we think about that?’
  • Encourage children to comment and share their reactions (some will do that freely without any invitation!)
• Predicting questions:
  • encourage children to consider what might happen next
  • ‘What will the Lion do now?’ ‘What do you think is going to happen?’
• ‘Tell me your favourite part of the book/favourite character.’ ‘Why?’
• Ask children to re-tell the story in their own words, using the pictures as a guide.

Obviously some of these pointers are not appropriate for all ages or all types of book, but they are a good guide to start off with.  You will find that you begin to generate your own questions and conversation starters naturally.

 

BENEFITS OF INTERACTIVE READING WITH CHILDREN.

All the benefits of reading to children are there, but the active nature of ‘reading with’ rather than just ‘reading to’ magnifies those benefits.  It also yields more benefits.  Interactive reading:

• ‘cements in’ new vocabulary, concepts and ideas because the child is not just hearing them, but interacting with them (for further information on this topic see here and here).
• makes children think, make inferences and draw conclusions, thereby making more connections in the brain. (For a funny story on not making connections, see here.)
• aids memory via the active discussion. I find that many children these days have astonishingly poor memories, even about their own experiences.  Part of the reason may be that they are not discussing their experiences within the family.
• checks that children comprehend the story (see is your child barking at print?) If you are just reading a story without any discussion, you have no evidence that your child has either listened and/or understood.
• introduces children to many more ideas, information etc., because you are extending what the story has introduced.
• intensifies the parent-child benefits because, in some instances, you are personalising the process, by relating what is happening in the story to experiences children have had. This can strengthen the family culture.

Reading regularly to your children is one of the single best things you can do as a parent to set children up for a happy and successful life, but interactive reading with your children is even better!

For further related articles, see:

https://educatingalpacas.com/raising-a-reader-part-1-the-baby/

https://educatingalpacas.com/raising-a-reader-part-2-toddlers/

https://educatingalpacas.com/raising-a-reader-part-3-emerging-readers/

https://educatingalpacas.com/raising-a-reader-part-4-early-readers/

 

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