15 tips for starting a lifelong conversation about books
By Laura Lambert for readbrightly.com
So, what’d you think of the book?
Good.
Did you like the book?
Yeah.
What did you like about it?
It was good.
For a lot of parents, that’s pretty much standard fare when it comes to talking about books with young readers. All you want is insight into their little brains — what’s catching their interest, what’s sparking their imagination, how they feel, what they think. And what you get, at best, is monosyllabic meaninglessness.
TODDLERS AND PRESCHOOLERS
Talking about books with little kids usually goes pretty well — they’re easily engaged, especially if you do all the voices. Still, it’s important to establish the habit.
1. Point and ask. Toddlers are unabashed know-it-alls. Stop mid-story and ask them to name objects and colors. If they’re old enough, they can count. “How many flowers?” It may seem distracting — and yes, it will drag out storytime — but it’s vital for language development.
2. Make a prediction. At this age, you can simply ask, “What happens next?” They’ve undoubtedly heard the story enough times to know, and repetition won’t bother a 3-year-old. This is the basis of story arc.
3. Pause — and let them fill the silence. With Goodnight Moon, for example, just say, “three little bears / sitting in…” and your little one will undoubtedly say “Chairs!” This works especially well with rhyming books.
SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN
Once kiddos begin reading on their own or getting into chapters books, things finally get interesting — and, for some, rather quiet. For a lot of kids, reading is private. This is when to start honing your power to draw your child out.
6. Discuss difficult words. If your child is reading to you, it’s easy to stop and talk about words that are above their pay grade. Bring in the dictionary. Talk about words you are confused about, too — it makes it okay for her to not know.
7. Make the questions personal. At this stage, it’s time to move beyond basic plot-based questions like, “What do you think happens next?” You can invite them to engage a little more personally with the book, to see themselves in a situation. “What would you have done differently?” Explore how their motivations may be different from what’s on the page.
8. Compare and contrast. Early readers love book series, and series easily lend themselves to comparison. How was this book different from the last one you read?
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