Murphy, Pentimonti, and Chow (2022) introduced three clear teaching strategies to use during interactive shared reading. While children can learn naturally through incidental learning (picking up words and ideas without direct teaching), research shows that intentional, guided teaching leads to even better learning outcomes.

Here are three easy, parent-friendly strategies you can use:

1. Ask Thoughtful Questions

Try to use more open-ended questions, such as "why" and "how," to encourage your child to think more deeply and express their ideas. These questions invite longer, more meaningful answers.

In contrast, closed questions (like yes/no questions) are less helpful because they often lead to very short responses.

There are two helpful types of open-ended questions:

• Literal questions: Answers can be found directly in the text or pictures
• Inferential questions: Require thinking and reasoning, such as understanding a character's feelings or predicting what might happen next. For example, "How do you think the character feels when they can't find their mum?" and "What do you think they will do next?".

2. Teach New Words Intentionally

When choosing words to teach, pick ones that are:

• New to your child, but...
• Useful in everyday life

Once you've chosen a word:

• Explain it using simple, child-friendly language
• Model how to use the word in sentences
• Repeat it a few times in different contexts

This helps your child build a deeper understanding of the word and how to use it.

3. Support Your Child Step by Step (Scaffolding)

Every child is different, so it's important to adjust your support based on their age, needs, and attention span.

Pay attention to signs that your child may be finding something difficult, such as:

• Not responding
• Giving unrelated answers
• Losing focus or daydreaming

When this happens, you can:

• Work through the answer together
• Offer fewer choices
• Give the answer and let them repeat it

On the other hand, if the activity feels too easy, you can gently increase the challenge by:

• Asking more "why", "how" or "what do you think" questions
• Encouraging them to predict, explain, or make connections

Reading together isn't just about learning. It's also a special way to bond with your child. These shared moments help build language skills, support learning, and strengthen your relationship at the same time.

Reference

Dawes, E., Leitão, S., Claessen, M., & Kane, R. (2019). A randomized controlled trial of an oral inferential comprehension intervention for young children with developmental language disorder. Child Language Teaching and Therapy, 35(1), 39-54.

Maynard K. L., Pullen P. C., Coyne M. D. (2010). Teaching vocabulary to first-grade students through repeated shared storybook reading: A comparison of rich and basic instruction to incidental exposure. Literacy Research and Instruction, 49(3), 209–242.

Murphy, K. A., Pentimonti, J. M., & Chow, PhD, J. C. (2023). Supporting children's language and literacy through collaborative shared book reading. Intervention in School and Clinic, 58(3), 155-163.