Friday, April 23, 2021

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.

What I think . . .

There are all kinds of readers. Some—like my daughter and me—are never without a book to read for pleasure. Others—like my son—are careful, analytical, and curious readers who read primarily to seek information from the page.


No matter what kind of reader your child becomes, you can help him or her get started. After all, you are your child’s first teacher. And, best of all, you can have some fun in the process.


Please feel free to share your own ideas. Tell me about ways you've enjoyed reading with your child.


Madeline Boskey, Ph.D.