LA T3.01Reading a Book Together
The adult reads a short book with realistic pictures to one or two children, following the child's pace and talking about the pictures.
Safety
- Check board books for loose pieces and paper books for torn pages; toddlers still mouth and tear books.
- Read from printed books, not e-books or reading apps, in keeping with the curriculum's no-screens rule.
Presentation
- 1
When a child brings a book or looks at the book basket, invite them: "Would you like to read this together?" Sit with the child beside you or on your lap so you both see the pages.
- 2
Show the cover and say the title.
- 3
Read the words on each page slowly. With a young toddler, name the pictures instead of reading every word.
- 4
Point to a picture and add a sentence about it: "The girl is putting on her boots. You have boots too."
- 5
Pause and let the child point, name, or turn the page. This is the point of interest: the child points to a picture and looks at you for its name.
- 6
Answer what the child points to. Let the child go back to a page or skip pages.
- 7
Stop when the child loses interest, even in the middle of the book. Read favorite books again whenever the child asks.
- 8
At the end, the child helps return the book to the shelf.
Extensions, easiest to hardest
- Ask, "Where is the dog?" and wait for the child to point
- Pause before a repeated line and let the child say it
- Connect the book to the child's life: "We saw a digger on our walk."
- Longer books with a simple, realistic story (a day at the market, a trip to the park) for children about 30–36 months
Control of error
None in the material. The adult watches the child's attention and changes the length of the reading and the amount of talk.
Ready to move on when the child…
- Brings a book to an adult to read
- Points to named pictures
- Names pictures or says a repeated line
- Listens to a short book from start to finish (by about 30–36 months)
Guide note
Families who speak another language at home should read in that language; reading in the language the parent knows best supports the child's language, and those skills carry over to English later. Asking the child a few questions about the pictures and adding to their answers (dialogic reading) is a well-studied method; it fits this work if the questions are few and follow the child's interest.