Active reading involves reading a book with a child rather than reading a book to a child. This evidence-based approach improves children’s language skills, vocabulary, and ability to understand what they read on their own.

Active reading works with children from as young as six months through sixth grade. (For the younger children you’ll want to focus more on the pictures.) In active reading, an adult shares a picture book with a child and provides the child with multiple opportunities to talk about and engage with the pictures, words and ideas in the book. The adult’s role is to be an active listener, ask questions, and get the child talking and thinking about the book.