Reading aloud is one of the most powerful ways to support your child’s early literacy—and it becomes even more impactful when it’s a two-way experience. Instead of just reading to your child, try reading with them by making it interactive.
These simple techniques, backed by early childhood research, turn storytime into a playful, engaging conversation that builds comprehension, vocabulary, and a lifelong love of books.
✅ 1. Ask Open-Ended Questions
Instead of yes/no questions, try ones that invite thinking and discussion.
“Why do you think the puppy looks sad?”
“What would you do if you were the character?”
Open-ended questions develop critical thinking and help your child connect emotionally with the story.
👉 They also build expressive language skills and help children feel like their ideas matter—because they do!
✅ 2. Predict What Comes Next
Before turning the page, pause and ask:
“What do you think will happen next?”
“How do you think this story will end?”
This builds anticipation, strengthens story structure understanding, and encourages inference—an important reading skill.
👉 When children make predictions, they’re actively engaging with the text and practicing how to think ahead—just like good readers do.
✅ 3. Take Turns
Even toddlers can participate in turning pages or pointing to pictures. With early readers, try alternating who reads each sentence or page.
Bonus idea: Let them “read” by finishing a line from memory in a repetitive book (e.g., Brown Bear, Brown Bear or I See Dinosaurs from the FinnBooks set).
This builds confidence and reinforces the rhythm and structure of language.
👉 Taking turns also signals to your child that reading is a shared, enjoyable experience—not a test.
✅ 4. Talk About the Pictures
Before reading the text, explore the illustrations together:
“What do you see here?”
“How does the character look? What do you think they’re feeling?”
Visual literacy is key to comprehension, especially for beginning readers who rely on images to decode meaning.
👉 This strategy also helps children develop emotional awareness and observation skills—tools that benefit them far beyond the page.
✅ 5. Relate the Story to Real Life
Help your child connect the book to their world.
“Have you ever felt like the character?”
“This reminds me of our trip to the park!”
Making text-to-self connections builds empathy and deepens understanding.
👉 These personal links help stories stick and make reading more relevant, memorable, and meaningful.
Every story is an opportunity to connect—with your child, with their curiosity, and with the magic of reading. By inviting them into the story through questions, predictions, and shared reading moments, you’re building more than just literacy skills—you’re building trust, confidence, and joy.
The FinnBooks Home Library is designed to support these kinds of interactions, with colorful, family-friendly stories that make it easy to pause, talk, and explore together. 💙📚🐾