Become a Fan

If your child loves a particular book, do some research. Find out if the author has written other books that your child might enjoy. Then skip on over to your library to find those books. 

You can do some internet research to find biographical information and maybe even photographs of the author. This kind of background helps your child understand the idea of authorship–that real people write books. It might even be an inspiration for your child to write his or her own book! 

Cover Up Time!

You are settling into a read aloud with a new book. 

Even before you open the book to read aloud, do a "cover check." 

Read the title, and ask, "What do you think this book is going to be about?" 

Talk with your young child about her predictions. Then probe some more. Ask, "How can you tell? Tell me what you see on the cover." 

Questions like these are the perfect lead-in to reading a new book together. It will be fun to see how accurate her predictions were. And she is building her ability to make predictions based on evidence, an important critical thinking skill.

 Take Action!

If a book sparks your child's interest--say, she is intrigued by something a character does--see if you can replicate the experience. Plant "magic" beans, dig a rabbit hole, set up a tent in the living room, visit a park to look at different kinds of leaves. Encourage your child's imagination to soar!

When you encourage your child to expand on that interest, it helps to strengthen the connection between books and her own life. Plus, you are demonstrating to your child that reading can open doors to new things to try.