Reading with children helps them discover how books, stories, pictures, and words work together. Even before children can read on their own, shared reading gives them a chance to listen, wonder, predict, ask questions, and connect stories to their own experiences.
Through reading, children can:
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Build vocabulary and background knowledge
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Strengthen listening and comprehension skills
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Learn how books and printed words work
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Practice attention, memory, and prediction
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Develop curiosity about stories and information
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Build positive feelings about books and reading
Reading does not have to mean sitting still for a long time or finishing every page. Looking at pictures, rereading a favorite book, visiting the library, or letting a child “read” in their own way all help build comfort, confidence, and early literacy skills.
Ages Birth - 24 Months
You do not have to read every word on the page for book time to be meaningful. Point to the pictures, name what you see, and describe what is happening. Talking about pictures helps babies connect words, images, and ideas.
Talk About the Pictures in Books
When your child brings you a book or shows interest in reading, respond when you can. Even a few minutes of shared reading helps your child learn that books are enjoyable and worth exploring. Following your child’s lead also builds positive feelings around reading.
Follow Your Child’s Interest in Reading
Board books are a great choice for babies and toddlers because they are sturdy and easy to handle. Young children may throw them, bite them, tap them, or turn the pages back and forth. This kind of exploration is part of learning how books work.
Try Board Books
Babies and toddlers often enjoy hearing the same book many times. Repetition helps them recognize familiar words, sounds, pictures, and story patterns. Reading the same book again and again builds comfort, confidence, and early language skills.
Read the Same Book Again and Again
Babies and toddlers may only sit with a book for a very short time, and that is okay. Let reading be relaxed, flexible, and child-led instead of forcing them to finish the whole book. Even brief reading moments help build familiarity with books and language.
Be Comfortable With Short Attention Spans
Allow your child to hold the book, turn the pages, and explore it in their own way. They may hold it upside down, skip pages, or go back to the same picture again and again. Giving them control helps them feel confident and engaged with books.
Let Your Child Control the Book
As you read, pause to point to pictures and name what you see. You might say, “That’s a dog,” “The baby is sleeping,” or “Look at the big red ball.” This simple habit helps babies connect spoken words with objects, actions, and meaning.
Point To and Name Pictures
Ages 2-4 Years
You do not have to read every word for book time to be valuable. Look at the pictures together, name what you see, and talk about what might be happening. This helps children connect words, images, and ideas while building vocabulary and comprehension.
Talk About the Pictures
When your child brings you a book or asks to read, try to respond when you can. Even a short reading moment helps children learn that books are meaningful and enjoyable. Following your child’s interest builds positive feelings about reading and encourages them to return to books again.
Respond When Your Child Wants to Read
Young children often love hearing the same book many times. Repetition helps them recognize familiar words, remember story patterns, and feel confident participating. You can invite them to say repeated phrases, point to favorite pictures, or tell you what happens next.
Read the Same Book Again and Again
Before reading a page, ask your child to find something small in the illustration. For example, you might ask, “Can you find the little yellow bird hiding in the tree?” Looking closely at pictures builds observation skills, vocabulary, attention, and comprehension.
Find Small Details in the Pictures
Help your child see that words are all around them. Point out words on storefronts, cereal boxes, magazines, signs, and labels during everyday routines. This helps children understand that print carries meaning and is part of daily life.
Notice Words Everywhere
As you read, ask questions like, “Where’s the dog?” or “Can you find the blue ball?” Give your child time to look, point, and respond in their own way. This builds vocabulary, attention, and the connection between spoken words and visual meaning.
Point to Pictures in Books
Place letter magnets on the refrigerator or another safe magnetic surface. Point to one letter at a time and say the letter name and sound. Short, playful exposure to letters helps children begin recognizing that letters have names, shapes, and sounds.
Use Letter Magnets
Choose one letter and look for it throughout the day. You might find it in your child’s name, on a sign, in a book, or on a food package. This turns letter recognition into a simple game that can happen anywhere.
Pick a Letter of the Day
As you read, move your finger from left to right under the words. This helps children notice that print follows a direction and that the words on the page match what you are saying. Over time, this supports print awareness and early reading habits.
Move Your Finger as You Read
When you see familiar signs, point out individual letters. You might notice letters on stop signs, restaurant signs, grocery store signs, or street signs. This helps children connect letters to real places and meaningful everyday experiences.
Point Out Letters on Signs
Take your child to the library and let them choose books that interest them. Choosing their own books helps children feel excited and involved in reading. Library visits also show children that books are valuable, enjoyable, and available in many different topics.
Visit the Library
Invite your child to “read” a favorite book to you, a sibling, or a stuffed animal. They can look at the pictures, remember parts of the story, or tell it in their own words. This builds confidence, storytelling skills, memory, and comprehension.
Let Your Child “Read” a Familiar Book
Before reading a new book, look through the pictures together. Ask your child what they think is happening or what the story might be about. Previewing pictures helps children make predictions and become active participants in the story.
Preview the Pictures First
Write your child’s name and talk about the letters you see. A child’s name often feels special and meaningful, making it a powerful place to begin letter recognition. This helps children connect print with something personal and familiar.
Write and Talk About Their Name
While reading, pause and ask open-ended questions about the story. You might ask, “What do you think will happen next?” or “Why do you think the character did that?” These questions help children think about meaning, make predictions, and practice comprehension.
Pause and Ask Questions While Reading
Ages 5-8 Years
Before starting a book, look at the cover, title, and pictures together. Ask your child what they think the story or topic might be about. Making predictions helps children become active readers who think about meaning before they begin.
Make Predictions Before Reading
After reading a story, talk about the characters and what they did. Ask questions like, “What kind of person is this character?” or “Why do you think they made that choice?” This helps children practice comprehension, empathy, and deeper thinking about stories.
Talk About the Characters
After reading a book or chapter, ask your child to retell what happened in their own words. They can tell the beginning, middle, and end, or share the most important parts. Retelling helps children organize information, remember details, and understand story structure.
Read and Retell
Choose a nonfiction book about something your child is curious about, like animals, space, sports, weather, or how things work. After reading, ask your child to share one new fact they learned. This helps children see reading as a way to explore the world and build knowledge.
Read to Learn Something New
Read two books with a similar topic, character, or theme. Talk about what is the same and what is different between them. Comparing books helps children notice details, make connections, and think more carefully about what they read.
Compare Two Books
Invite your child to choose a few favorite books and create a special shelf, basket, or stack for them. Ask them why each book belongs there and what they like about it. Choosing and explaining favorite books helps children build reading confidence, personal taste, and ownership of their reading life.
Create a Favorite Book Shelf
Reading with Diverse Learners
Read Every Day in a Way Your Child Can Access
Shared reading can include printed books, board books, braille books, audiobooks, tactile books, picture books, digital books, or books read aloud by another person. The format matters less than the shared experience of language, attention, and connection. Choose books your child can see, touch, hear, understand, or interact with in a meaningful way.
Use Story Boxes
Pair a book with real objects your child can touch, hold, smell, or explore. For example, a story about bedtime might include a small blanket, a toothbrush, and a stuffed animal. Story boxes can be especially helpful for children with vision loss, deafblindness, language delays, autism, or sensory processing differences.
Add Braille Exposure
For children who are blind or have low vision, keep braille books and braille labels available when possible. As you read aloud, gently guide the child’s hands to explore the braille if they are comfortable with touch. This helps children understand that braille is a meaningful form of print.
Make Picture Reading Flexible
Some children may not sit through a full book, and that is okay. Look at one picture, talk about one page, name one object, or let the child choose what to focus on. Short, positive reading moments can still build attention, vocabulary, comprehension, and confidence.
Read and Sign Together
For children who are deaf, hard of hearing, or learning through visual language, combine books with sign language when appropriate. Sign key words, pause for the child to respond, and use facial expressions to support meaning. This helps make reading more accessible and interactive.
Use Repetition
Read the same book again and again when your child enjoys it. Repetition helps children recognize words, remember story patterns, anticipate what comes next, and participate more confidently. For children with speech delays, dyslexia, autism, ADHD, or processing differences, familiar books can reduce pressure and increase engagement.
Let the Child Respond in Their Own Way
After reading a page, invite your child to respond through speech, pointing, signing, drawing, acting, AAC, movement, or choosing an object. A child does not have to answer verbally to show understanding. The goal is to help them connect with the story in a way that works for them.
Offer Books That Match Strengths and Curiosity
Some children need simple, predictable books with clear pictures. Others may be ready for advanced information, complex vocabulary, or nonfiction topics even if they are still developing decoding skills. Gifted and advanced learners may especially enjoy books that feed their curiosity while still receiving support with patience, discussion, and emotional connection.