Tips for Families Reading Together

How Noticing Details in Illustrations Helps Us Grow as Readers

Illustrations tell half the story in picture books, and pointing out the interesting things we see in illustrations can show young children the kinds of clues that readers look for in the things we read.

After Reading Penguinaut! by Marcie Colleen, invite your child to write a special note with you. (For a young child, this could be a drawing instead.) Take turns hiding your special note, inviting the other to find it! Afterward, read or talk about your special notes with each other. Don’t forget to display your specials notes on the refrigerator or kitchen bulletin board!

Practicing Storytelling with Wordless Books

Wordless books provide endless possibilities for children and adults to practice storytelling and descriptive language as we interpret illustrations!

Pair your next wordless book with a home made obstacle course to connect the story to a real world experience, and help children understand descriptive words like prepositions!