Interactive reading

1. Interactive Reading and a
Child’s Development
Michelle Dunn
August 16, 2016
Kendall College SOE 115

2. Introduction
Interactive reading is an read aloud comprised
of numerous purposeful activities that also
includes developmental learning.Interactive
reading is a strategy that a teacher can use
through read aloud to help children making
connections between their personal lives and
the book, develop vocabulary, learn
prediction skills, etc.
The single most important activity for building the
knowledge required for eventual success in reading is
reading aloud to children.
- Becoming a Nation of Readers (1985)
U.S. Department of Education

3. Interactive Reading and the
Multiple Intelligence Theory
Howard Gardner played a important role in assisting educators on
reconsider the concept of intelligence. Gardner identified nine
intelligences: visual/spatial, verbal/linguistic,
mathematical/logical, bodily/kinesthetic, musical/rhythmic,
intrapersonal, interpersonal, naturalist and existentialist. Not all
of these intelligences can connect with the topic of interactive
reading but visual/spatial and verbal/linguistic are strongly
connected. Visual/spatial states that children like to see what
they are talking about in order for them to develop a clear
understanding. When it comes to interactive reading, visuals such
as pictures are essential because it captures the eye of the child
and this draws the child’s attention in to make them have interest
in the story. Verbal/linguistic states that children usually
demonstrate strengths when it comes to language arts. During
interactive reading, discussions are prompted because it allows
the reader to develop an understanding of the child’s
understanding of the text.

4. Interactive Reading
Key Points
 Discuss the pictures : This allows the child to engage in
back and forth conversation with the reader while
supporting both language development and social
interaction.
 Let the child turn the pages: This allows the child feel
like they are involved in telling the story while building up
their personal prediction of what’s on the next page.
 Show the child the words: Showing the child the words
supports pre- reading skills and even if the child can not
read it helps them become familiar with the words.
 Add sound effects: Sound is something that grasps a
child’s attention, by adding sound effects you will be able
to capture the child’s attention a little longer than
expected.

5. Interactive Reading vs. Passive
Reading
Interactive Reading Passive Reading
 Engaging
 Conversations created
 Predications and
Conclusion developed
 Analyze information
 Involves techniques
 May includes props,
accessories etc (such
as puppets, felt board,
etc)
 Non-engaging
 Lack of conversation
 No predications created
 Lack of analyzing
information
 Lack of specific reading
practice
 No additional add-ons
just the book

6. Analysis
After analyzing gathered information from all
threes sources, I noticed that they all provide
solid evidence on how interactive reading
supports development. Interactive reading seems
to be more recommended than passive reading
because it adds more learning techniques to
reading.

7. Connections
I’m currently a toddler teacher at
daycare. I practice the strategy of
interactive reading most of the time
in my classroom. My students are
young in age so their attention span
is not very long. So I have to
continuously come up with ways to
grasps their attention. For an
example, my students love Pete the
Cat: The Wheels on the Bus. So
when I read the story I usually use
props to help get the students
engaged. I use chairs and line them
up to represent the seats on the bus
and I have the students sit in the
chairs while I read the story. Also
during the story the students are
using several movements and
gestures that are associated with the
story.

8. Conclusion
In conclusion, interactive reading is a
successful strategy to promote a child’s
development. Each development domain
is supported in a different way. Most
importantly the child becomes a part of
the process of their learning while
enjoying it at the same.

9. Connections
In my toddler classroom, we
were reading “Five Green
and Speckled Frogs.” While I
was reading the story I also
had a frog puppet to help
add more visuals to the
story. Even though counting
is something that we are
continuously working on, I
would ask my students how
many frogs did were left
after each one jumped in the
pool to help support their
prediction skills. My students
love sound effects, so I
made sure throughout the
story I made sounds relevant
to the sound words in the
story.

10. Communication with Families
“Interactive reading is a very good strategy to
use. It covers many areas of development
such as social, language, pre-reading etc.
This is something that will add a little spark
to story time at home. I recommend that you
try it and you will be surprised on how much
you and your little one(s) enjoy it.”
Michelle Dunn
Gardner School
Lead Toddler Teacher

11. References
 Morrison, G. S. (2008). Fundamentals of
early childhood education. Upper Saddle
River, NJ: Kevin M. Davis.
 Interactive Read Aloud: How To Do It and
Why It Works. (2009-2016). Retrieved
August 17, 2016, from
http://www.k5chalkbox.com/
 Cascio, C. (2016). Differences Between
Active and Passive Reading.