Young Children Learn When Adults Read To Them

For some time now we have known that children who are read to are likely to learn to read more easily (Durkin, 1966; Clark, 1976). Recent studies show, however, that what children learn from these read aloud sessions is highly influenced by how we read to them. Researchers have identified several kinds of adult-child interactions that help children learn during read-aloud sessions (Snow, Burns & Griffin, 1998:142-147; 319-321). Primary findings are that children learn much about reading when the reader:

• periodically directs the child's attention to the sounds and structures of the spoken words. For example, the reader points out that "billy" and "dilly" rhyme, and encourages the child to say the words together, enjoying the rhyming. Our guides highlight the importance of phonemic awareness. In addition, our guides and activities include poems, songs and play rhymes to stimulate playing with and enjoying language sounds.
  
  
• periodically demonstrates the relationship between spoken words and print by pointing to a word or letter while reading it. For example, the reader points to a word and says, "Look, the word 'egg' starts with an 'e' like the word 'exit.' Our guides suggest that adult readers periodically point to words and letters while reading. We also have included many books with large words and with words in conversation bubbles, to make it easier for the reader to point out words for children.
  
  
• is able to direct the child's attention to particular aspects of the story, such as a clue in one of the pictures or something that a character said. This shared attention is critical to learning. In each of our workshops we make specific suggestions of items to point to and motions to make and imitate during read-aloud sessions.
  
  
• keeps the child listening actively. To help the reader maintain children's attention we have included suggestions about-- kinds of questions to ask children, statements to help keep the child thinking about the story, and selections of books that make it easy for children to join in the reading.