Do More Than Read to Your Child This Summer

It's no secret that reading to your child encourages growth in vocabulary and a love for reading. But do you know how to take it one step further? It's as simple as asking a question.

Start with your child's favorite book. Let's say it's A Mama for Owen by Marion Dane Bauer, illustrated by John Butler, but any children's book will serve the purpose. The story begins by intruducing Owen (who is "a very young hippo"), and the family he lives with (his mother, father, aunts, and cousins). This brings us to our first set of questions.

The "Wh-" Questions

A "wh-" question is any question that starts with "who," "what," "where," "when," "why," "which," or "how." (Yes, I realize that "how" doesn't start with "wh.") After reading the page, point to different hippos and ask, "Who do you think this hippo is?" or "Where is Owen?" Draw your child's attention to the environment around the hippos. Ask, "What can they find in the river?"

Now take it even further. Ask, "Who is your mama?" or "Where do you live?" It's a great way for your child to relate to the characters in the story.

Pay attention to your child's answers. Are the answers logical? When you ask him or her a question that begins with "who," does the answer include a name or a person (in this case, a hippo)? Or does the answer describe a place or a time?

Say you ask, "Who is Owen's mama?" Ideally, your child should point to the bigger hippo just ahead of Owen. But let's suppose your child's answer is "In the river." Clearly, this is not a logical answer. A good response to an answer like that might be "Yes, that's right. Owen's mama is in the river. But who is Owen's mama? Is she this hippo or that hippo?" Point to Owen and then to the hippo ahead of him. This gives your child two hippos to choose from, and it lets your child know that the correct answer should be a person -- er, hippo.

Okay, that was simple. Let's turn the page. The next scene depicts Owen and his mother. The author describes Owen's mother. She also describes what Owen and his mother do together, which brings us to our next questions.

Descriptive Concepts, Synonym/Antonym Questions

The following two pages describe Owen's mama and what Owen does with his mama. This is a great opportunity for you to draw your child's attention to descriptive concepts. A descriptive concept is any word or phrase that describes what something looks like.

Read the pages to your child. Then use one of your "wh-" questions to introduce a descriptive concept. For example, "What color is Owen's mama?" In this case, the story specifically states that his mother is "grayish brown." Your child might answer with another color. Maybe pink. (She is a little pinkish, I suppose.) If this is the case, you may say, "Yes. She is a little pink. What color does the story say she is again?" By pointing out what the story said, you are encouraging reading comprehension; you are encouraging your child to understand what the story is telling him.

While you're on descriptive concepts, moving on to antonyms (opposites) is just a baby step away. You may want to ask about concepts not mentioned specifically in the text. In this particular picture, the stars and moon are bright, and without them the night would be dark. Owen is small and his mother is big. The river is wet, but the bank is dry. If it doesn't seem natural to ask, "What's the opposite of big?" don't bother. Point these concepts out yourself and your child will pick them up intuitiviely. She may even start to fill in the blanks.

While reading, you'll notice that the author says, "...he loved his great grayish brown... mama." Your child might only know the word great as meaning "really good." This is your chance to say, "His mama is great. What does "great" mean here? It means "big." Later you can ask, "Is Owen's mother "great" or "small." The inclusion of the words "small" will hint that "great" means "big."

Spatial Concept Questions

Turn the page. Perfect! Owen and his mother play hide-and-seek. This is a good time to focus on spatial concepts. A spatial concept tells where something or someone is (a preposition).

Owen's game of hide-and-seek doesn't offer many spatial concepts to choose from, so you may want to add some of your own. Ask questions like, "Where could Owen hide if he lived in our house?" or "Where would you hide if you lived in Owen's river?"

Answers can range as far as your and your child's imagination goes. Owen can hide under the table, in the grass, on the floor. Your child might hide behind the other hippo, next to the chair -- anywhere. You can even demonstrate these concepts by hiding stuffed animals around the room, or pointing to different places depicted in the pictures.

Things to keep in mind:

Let the questions come naturally. If it doesn't feel like the right time, or if your child is making comments spontaneously at the moment, don't stop her. Listen and respond to your child as if you're having a conversation -- because you are.

A child of any age can benefit from these questions. If your child can't talk quite yet, make sure your questions' answers are concrete and can be found on the page. Answer your own questions by pointing to the answers. Your child will learn from and enjoy your comments even if he can't respond with words, and he may even respond with gestures.

Why is asking questions important?

When you use and ask questions while reading to your child, you encourage the development of reading comprehension. Your child will use reading comprehension in school from kindergarten to senior year. He or she will be asked to read a story and answer questions just like the ones described above. Your child will be more prepared with the background you provide.

By answering questions, your child will be better prepared to share information as well as seek information. This is an invaluable tool academically and socially speaking. Giving and seeking information is a skill we all use on a daily basis. We recount events, we ask pertinent questions.

The time you spend with your child reading, asking, and answering questions will translate into skills he or she will use in school, in college, and in life.