It can be tempting to just read the words on each page and rush through a book when reading to your tot. However, your tot will benefit most from interactive reading sessions. What exactly does this mean? It means that you engage the words, illustrations, and pace of the story by changing your tone, pointing out pictures, etc… Following along with our Spotlight Story activities is a great way to get in the habit of reading interactively with your tot.

I have been reading Born Reading: Bringing Up Bookworms in a Digital Age -- From Picture Books to eBooks and Everything in Between for my own professional development. While I don't have any delusions of forcing my tots to be early readers, I do know that reading to my tots from day 1 has more benefits than encouraging their own literacy. When I read to them, they are building vocabulary, exercising imagination, learning ways to play with their voices, etc… Enjoy the following interactive reading tips from Jason Boog's book, as I relate them to reading our Spotlight Story.

Tip 1
"Ask lots and lots of questions. Questions are the foundation for interactive reading, and you can ask them even before your child can answer with words. Be sure to ask questions before, during, and after the reading experience"

Spotlight Story Examples:

• Ask your tot to point to the different characters. Where is goat? Where is sheep?
• Do you remember when we flew a kite?
• What does the wind feel like on your nose?
• Remember to ask what your tot thinks will happen next

Tip 2
"Share details about the book. Point out your favorite illustrations, name the colors, animals, people, and feelings on the page. At first your child will not be able to join you, but he or she will pick up your interactive habit as they grow."

Spotlight Story Examples:

• Super Duck's cape is red. Frog is green. Do you see any more red on the page?
• Let's count the animals
• Sheep and Goat look nervous

Tip 3
"Dramatize the story. You can mime sweeping when you see a broom or pretend to eat the character's food. This will help your child match the concepts to the words, a pillar of the interactive reading experience."

Spotlight Story Examples:

• When the kite "flips and flops" and "dips and flops" sway with the words
• Put your child in your lap for the "bumpily bump" truck ride
• Reach up into the air and pretend you are swept away with the kite like frog