You can ask preschool-aged children some open-ended questions, aimed at helping them understand and think about the story (such as “What would you do if you were in that situation?”, or “Why do you think he got off the bus?”) [3]. To ensure you are having a back-and-forth conversation about the book, pause and wait for your child to participate, and avoid bombarding your child with questions or asking questions that “test” your child [2].
It’s never too early to start building your child’s early literacy skills. Most of the early literacy skills mentioned above develop in children between the ages of three to five, but there are some skills you can start to nurture even earlier. For example, the ideas above about sharing books are appropriate for two year olds, and three year olds can benefit from conversations that highlight new vocabulary, sounds, and print in their environment (e.g. “look at that red sign, it says S T O P”). By incorporating some of these ideas into everyday routines with your child, you will encourage an awareness of print and sounds as well as a love of books.