Week 1: Reading

Activity 3

If you don’t have time for anything else this summer, read! READ READ READ I can’t say it enough.

The more trips you take to the library, the more likely your child is to eventually start picking out books they enjoy. For instance, my oldest Biggie, hates to sit down for any duration of time to read. When I take him to the library to pick his own SpongeBob books he is less reluctant to fight me on it.

How do you pick a good book you ask? Keep your child’s reading level in mind. Search for simple plots, with few words and a lot of pictures (look for books labeled “Level 1”). This is a great time to practice rhyming, letters, numbers, shapes, and colors.

Below you will find a list of questions to ask before, while, and after reading. I don’t suggest asking every question during every book, but select a few from each section each time. Tip: Print question list and keep handy to reference while reading. I even had my laminated.

Questions to Ask Before Reading:

Looking at the title, cover and illustrations/pictures, what do you think will happen in this book?
What makes you think that?
What characters do you think might be in the book?
Do you think there will be problem in the story? Why?
What do you already know about the topic of this book?
Does the topic or story relate to you or your family? How?
Do you think it will be like any other book you’ve read? If so, which one, and how do you think it will be similar?

Questions to Ask While Reading:

What has happened so far in the story? Can you tell me using sequence words? (first, then, next, after, finally, etc.)

What do you predict will happen next?

How do you think the story will end?

Why do you think the character did ____________?

What would you have done if you were the character?

How would you have felt if you were the character?

When you read, what pictures did you see in your head? How did you imagine it looked like?

What are you wondering about as you read? What questions do you have?

Think about the predictions you made before reading; do you still think the story will go that way? Why or why not? How do you think it will go now?

Questions to Ask After Reading

Why is the title a good title for the book/story? If you had to give it a different title, what would be another good title for it?
Were your predictions correct? Where did you have to fix your prediction as you read?
If there was a problem, did it get solved? How did the character try to solve the problem?
What happened because of the problem?
Did any of the characters change through the story? Who changed, and how did they change?
Why do you think the author wrote this?
What is the most important point that the author is trying to make in his/her writing?
What was your favorite part? Why?
If you could change one part, what would you change?
If you could ask the author a question, what would you ask?
Can you retell the story in sequence order (use your fingers and sequence words: first, second, then, next, etc.)
Is there a character in the story that reminds you of someone you know? If so, who are they like, and why do you think that?
Does this book remind you of another book you know? Does it remind you of something you’ve experienced in real