The way we read books to our children makes a difference in how they learn new words and develop early reading skills.
Tell Me More
There's more than one way to read a book, and the way you read to your child has been found to significantly correlate with the benefits children receive from reading sessions.
Pointing to and labeling pictures seems to have the greatest overall benefit for children's vocabulary and later print awareness, but taking the time to ask questions and describe the meaning of events is also beneficial when children's initial skill levels are taken into account.
Listening to multiple readings of a storybook facilitates children's comprehension and vocabulary, whereas answering questions during the multiple readings is more helpful in saying new words than in understanding new words. These findings suggest that, under certain conditions, techniques used by adults have differential effects on preschoolers' receptive and expressive vocabulary.
So What?
Of course, one style doesn't fit all children or parents. You might find these tips helpful:
A note about the author:
Dr. Randa Grob-Zakhary, MD Ph.D. is the Founder of The Babyboost Institute for Early Learning and Development. Want more tips? Purchase Babyboost: 50 Critical Facts on Amazon.