Where to Start

Asking questions about the story and having discussions about the books are incredible ways to develop a love of reading. While it can be tempting to delve into why Gerald wouldn’t recognize his best friend in My Friend is Sad, as parents of little ones, we may have to start a little more simply. Our littles may not be ready to examine moral issues about the characters’ motivations. On the other side of the coin, just reading the story as if you’re reading a grocery list may not spark that passion either.

Here are a few questions to use as you read with your little ones.

Who is this story about?

This may seem pretty basic to us as adults, but children do not always pick up on story grammar, such as who the characters are. And some stories can have unusual characters, such as animals or vehicles. Typically, stories center around the actions of the characters, so it’s good to start at the baseline. I think sometimes, as parents, we do a lot of telling, but given the chance, our kiddos have a lot to share and may surprise us with what they know. This not only builds their prereading skills, but also their confidence in adding to the interaction.

“Who is making the pancakes? I see a mama, but she is sleeping. Is the dog making them?”

Where does it take place?

Again, this may seem pretty obvious, but often children’s books do not explicitly state that the characters are in a specific place. By helping them to label where the characters are and how you child knows this, you’ll be expanding language and comprehension. If the characters are outside, are they in a yard or at a park? Downtown or in the mountains? Then bridge the location to something your child knows, “Oh, that’s a park like the one we go to!”

What is the problem?

Children do not always notice there is a problem, sometimes it seems like a series of events to them. By starting to see a story as including a problem that can be solved, this can help their own creative thinking to solve problems in their own lives. In a book like Llama Llama Time to Share, the problem is one they will probably encounter and it could help them in their daily experiences The Problem is another piece of story grammar they will learn about as they get older in school and it’s helpful to their comprehension if they can name it. 

What will happen next?

Prediction can help children develop their critical thinking and help them with their own problem solving. “Uh-oh! The toy is broken- what should they do?” It’s really cool when they guess what will happen. It’s also really cool when they have a different idea. 

How do they feel?

This is great to do after a major event in a story. As in Llama, Llama Time to Share, when his toy breaks, how does he feel? Lots of times, our littles will comment “Mad” or “Sad.” This is an awesome opportunity to expand specific language (I’m a language nerd:) but also to help increase empathy and emotional intelligence. Is the character sad? Or disappointed? Or devastated? 

Does this remind you of something?

At first you may have to suggest what the event in the story reminds them of: “Remember the time we had ice cream at the park?” but after a few examples, your child will start to make connections on their own. It can be pretty crazy the information they pull together. More often than I’d like to admit, my children made a connection to an event that was really important to them that I had almost forgotten about.

Enjoy!

One last note, just savor! Ask questions, don’t ask questions, do what’s right for the day! There may be days when just reading the story is enough. These questions are just suggestions of ways to expand the experience.  Be present and enjoy the time with your child- really interacting and connecting.

For some ideas on selecting books to read with your little, check out the GLP post here!

Happy reading!!