Bedtime Book Reading
Here's What To Do
At bedtime, or another time that you read books together, encourage your child to give you the book they’d like to read.
Ask them simple questions about how they know that is the book they want to read.
Talk together about what they can tell about the book from the cover of the book and ask them if they remember the title.
They can also share what they remember about the book. Then, they can help you to read the book.
Put PEER Into Action
Pause:
- Take a few calming breaths or stretches, or use your bedtime routine before reading.
Engage:
- “Bring the book you’d like to read.”
- “How did you know that was the book you wanted to read?”
Encourage:
- If your child describes the book or tells you the title of the book but isn’t sure what the book looks like, provide some clues to help them find it.
- “You said you wanted the story about the ducks, look for a book with ducks on the cover.”
Reflect:
- “How did you know this was the book you wanted to read?”
Not quite ready?
Show your child two of their favorite books to choose from. They can use gestures or say why they chose the book they selected.
Ready for more?
Encourage your child to describe what they think is happening in illustrations before you read the words. Talk about how the words and pictures help us understand the story.
As your child masters this skill...
They will identify a familiar book by looking at the cover; and recall some of the details.