How to get the most out of Story Time

Reading with young children can be a challenge. Parents worry about cultivating interest and encouraging good reading habits. So how can we help them do that?

With young children, even though they might not be able to read yet they are able to show interest in pictures and repeat words modeled by the parents. For example "Look! A dog. A big, brown dog". Here, it is easy for parents to introduce new vocabulary and then slowly build on that. This is called a "picture walk". Picture walking in reading can help cultivate interest in an unfamiliar story, practice new words modeled by the adult, and also elicit any knowledge the child may already posess. Priming the mind for anything can significantly improve learning acquisition.

Eliciting information, or drawing out knowledge can be done by simply asking your child questions. You can try this at any stage of the reading process, it can help you identify what your child already knows, what you could focus on modeling, or simply reinforcing existing knowledge.

For an example, you are looking at a picture of a dog. You could ask "What animal is that?" or "What do you see?". The latter question is more advanced, as the child might have to do more work to find information and words, whereas the first question already offered up the catergory of 'animal'.

Why Picture Walks are Helpful:

• Builds anticipation: By looking at the pictures first, your child gets excited about what's coming next in the story.

• Increases understanding: Seeing the pictures helps your child understand what the story is about, even before they read the words.

• Boosts confidence: When your child feels familiar with the story from the picture walk, they may feel more confident about reading the words

Tips for Parents:

• Make picture walks a fun and interactive experience for you and your child.

• Encourage them to express their thoughts and ideas about the pictures.

• Take your time and enjoy exploring the story together.

In conclusion, the picture walk strategy is a valuable tool for parents to support their young children's reading development. By engaging in a picture walk before reading a book, parents can build anticipation, increase understanding, and boost their child's confidence in reading. By making picture walks a fun and interactive experience, parents can foster a love for reading while helping their children develop important literacy skills.