Talking While You Read Informational Text

Having a conversation about a book will develop your child's vocabulary and build knowledge about the topic of that book. Whether you are reading a fairy tale, a picture book, an informational book, or any other text, you can engage in a discussion as you enjoy reading together.

Informational books contain factual information, like an article about the water cycle, a book about animals that hibernate, or a biography, which is a description about someone's life. Reading and talking about informational books can help your child develop their language and improve skills like problem-solving.

It is best to choose books about topics which are interesting to your child. You can read books from your home or borrow a book from your child's classroom library, school library, or the public library. You can also access books on laptop computers, tablets, digital reading devices, and smartphones. Websites such as Project Gutenberg provide free access to books and mobile formats especially for smartphones. Don't forget to look through your smartphone's app store for free apps containing books for children.

To talk while you read, use a tool called CROWD to ask different types of questions to prompt a discussion about a book. See the Talking While You Read Tri-folds for how to use CROWD. The texts in the tri-folds are arranged from easiest to most difficult (Tri-fold 1, Tri-fold 2, and Tri-fold 3).

Videos and Family Activities

Talking While You Read Using CROWD

Key Points About the Video

• Mom encourages her son to point to the words as he reads because she knows that his accuracy is better when he points to the words.
• Mom asks different types of questions using CROWD (Completion, Recall, Wh, and Distancing).
• Mom encourages son to look back at the text to find the answers to the questions.

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Talking While You Read Tri-fold 1

The Talking While You Read Trifold includes an overview of how to use CROWD. There is also a text with questions placed where they are most helpful to prompt your child.

Talking While You Read Tri-fold 2

The Talking While You Read Trifold includes an overview of how to use CROWD. There is also a text with questions placed where they are most helpful to prompt your child.

Talking While You Read Tri-fold 3

The Talking While You Read Trifold includes an overview of how to use CROWD. There is also a text with questions placed where they are most helpful to prompt your child.

Books to Share

Take turns reading or listen to your child read. Stop after each page or so to ask questions to prompt discussion. Use a tool called CROWD to ask different types of questions to prompt a discussion about the book.

• Completion   Ask your child to complete a sentence or a phrase from a book you are reading.
• Recall   Ask about details of what you read.
• Open-ended   Ask about a picture in the book.
• W-   Ask wh questions that begin with Who, What, Where, When, or Why.
• Distancing   Ask questions that relate something in the story to your child's life.

• Charlotte the Scientist is Squished by Camille Andros
• The Magic School Bus Inside a Beehive by Scholastic
• There's No Place Like Space: All About our Solar System (Cat in the Hat's Learning Library) by Tish Rabe
• Pop! by Meghan McCarthy
• Smart About Chocolate: A Sweet History by Sandra Markle

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Talking While You Read Stories

Stories are written for enjoyment and are typically not true. An example of a story is The Three Little Pigs. Stories often include characters, a setting (or where the story takes place), a problem, and a solution. The characters in The Three Little Pigs are the three pigs and the wolf. The setting is at the pig's houses. The problem is the wolf blows down the pig's houses. The solution is all the pigs live in the strongest house made of bricks, which the wolf cannot blow down. Reading and talking about stories can help your child develop their understanding about how stories are organized and can improve comprehension.

It is best to choose books about topics which are interesting to your child. You can use books from your home or borrow a book from your child's classroom library, school library, or the public library. Also, keep in mind that you can access books on laptop computers, tablets, digital reading devices, and smartphones. Websites such as Project Gutenberg provide free access to books and mobile formats especially for smartphones. Don't forget to look through your smartphone's app store for free apps containing books for children.

Videos and Family Activities

Talking While You Read Stories (The Day the Crayons Quit)

Key Points About the Video

• Mom and son take turns reading.
• Mom facilitates a conversation at the end of the book by asking questions about the story and using the bookmark as a resource.
• Mom asks questions that refer to typical characteristics of any story (character, setting, problem, and solution).

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Talking While You Read Stories Bookmark

Use the Talking While You Read Stories Bookmark to ask questions about the characters, setting, problem, and solution while reading a story with your child.

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Supporting Oral Language and Vocabulary Development

Oral language is the way we communicate with others through speaking and listening. Vocabulary knowledge is a crucial part of oral language and includes understanding the meaning of words, how to use them, and how to pronounce them.

Oral language practice will help your child expand his or her vocabulary. Children with strong oral language skills and larger vocabularies typically become better readers. The best ways to give your child a strong foundation for learning to read are to read to, talk to, and listen to your child every day. Talk about people you know, places you go, and experiences you have together. Writing with your child also helps with oral language development.

• Ask questions that require more than a yes or no answer. For example, instead of asking, "Did you have a good day?" ask, "What was your favorite part of school today?" Continue to ask questions about your child's response. If the answer was "Recess," ask, "Who did you play with?" "What did you do?" "How do you play that game?"
• When you speak with your child, model speaking in complete sentences and providing details. Use the words your child says and expand on them. For example, if your child points to a car and says, "Yellow car!" say, "That is a bright yellow car that is moving quickly! Where do you think that person is going?"

Videos and Family Activities

Talking and Writing in the Kitchen

Key Points About the Video

• Children have fun talking about and making a grocery list of ingredients for chicken noodle soup.
• Mom fully involves both children in the creation of the grocery list by asking one son to draw pictures and the other son to write words.
• Mom asks many questions and fully involves children in the conversation.

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Talking and Writing in the Kitchen

Use these questions, activities, and conversation starters to have fun while you talk and write in the kitchen.

Grocery Shop Talk

Use this activity to make a grocery list with your child. Ask your child questions and engage in conversations while you grocery shop together.