This document discusses dialogic book reading, which involves an adult and child switching roles where the child acts as storyteller and the adult listens and asks questions. Strategies for dialogic reading include PEER (prompting, evaluating, expanding, repeating) and CROWD (completion, recall, open-ended, wh-, and distancing prompts). Recommended practices for early language learners are asking what questions, following answers with more questions, repeating the child, helping as needed, praising the child, following their interests, asking open-ended questions, and having fun. Possible innovations discussed are creating a dialogic reading corner and integrating technology.

1. Dialogic Book Reading 101: Concepts,
Strategies, Practices and Possible Innovations
KOTESOL International Conference 2013
Dr. Maria Teodora Ping
Mulawarman University
Indonesia

2. Structure of the Presentation
• Basic Concepts
• Strategies
• Practices & Possible Innovations

3. What is Dialogic Book Reading?
• A particular form of shared book reading
• Adult and child switch roles: the child = the
storyteller; the adult = an active listener and
questioner
• Adult and child have a conversation about a book
(Whitehurst, 1992; Zevenbergen & Whitehurst,
2003)

4. Why Dialogic Book Reading?
• Basic premise: “children learn most from books
when they are actively involved” (Whitehurst,
1992)
• “Reading interventions that more actively involve
children are likely to give more positive benefits”
(Trivette & Dunst, 2007)

5. Why Dialogic Book Reading?
• “Dialogic reading increased children’s vocabulary
gain and expressive language skills”
(Zevenbergen & Whitehurst, 2003)
• “Dialogic reading activity provides potential
opportunities for learning vocabulary and
sentence structure” (Ping, 2011)

6. Dialogic Reading Strategies
• “PEER”
- Prompting: prompt the child to label objects in the
book and talk about the story
- Evaluating: evaluate the child’s responses
- Expanding: expand the child’s utterances by
repeating what the child has said and adding
information to it
- Repeating: encourage the child to repeat the
expanded utterances

7. Dialogic Reading Strategies
“CROWD”
Completion prompt: fill-in-the-blank questions
Recall prompt: remember aspects of the book
Open- Ended prompt: respond to the book in
own words
- Wh- prompt: what, where, why questions
- Distancing prompt: relate the content of the
book to aspects of life outside of the book
•
-

8. Dialogic Reading Strategies &
Practices
• Recommended Tips for Practices with Early
Language Learners (2-3 Years Old)
1) Ask “WHAT” questions;
2) Follow answers with questions;
3) Repeat what the child says;
4) Help the child as needed;

9. Dialogic Reading Strategies &
Practices
5) Praise and encourage;
6) Follow the child’s interests;
7) Ask open-ended questions;
8) Expand what the child says, and
9) Have fun.

10. Dialogic Reading Practice
• Materials:
- appropriate for the children’s age level: in terms
of length, language and basic concepts/ themes
- appealing to young children: simple narrative
plots, numerous illustrations, and limited words
per page.
(see further: http://community.fpg.unc.edu/connect-modules/learners/module-6/step-3/bdefinition/selecting)

11. Dialogic Reading Practice
Courtesy of:
http://soe.lmu.edu/centers/ceel/earlychildhoodandenglishlearnersresources/

12. Dialogic Reading Practices &
Possible Innovations
• Creating “Dialogic Reading Corner”
• Doing Extensive Dialogic Reading
• Integrating Technology

13. References
• Cutspec, P. A. (2006). Effects of Dialogic Reading on the Language
Development of 4- and 5-Year-Old Children. Bridges, 4(3), 1-15.
• Hargrave, A. C., & Senechal, M. (2000). A book reading intervention
with preschool children who have limited vocabularies: the benefits of
regular reading and dialogic reading. Early Childhood Research
Quarterly, 15(1), 75-90
• Lonigan, C., & Whitehurst, G. J. (1998).Relative efficacy of parent and
teacher involvement in a shared-reading intervention for preschool
children from low-income backgrounds. Early Childhood Research
Quarterly, 13(2), 263-290
• Ping, Maria Teodora. (2012). Dialogic Oriented Shared Book Reading
Practices for Immigrant Children in German Kindergartens. Florida:
Universal- Publishers.com

14. References
• Trivette, C. M., & Dunst, C. J. (2007).Relative Effectiveness of Dialogic,
Interactive, and Shared Reading Interventions. Learning, 1(2), 1-12.
• Whitehurst, G. J. (1992). Dialogic Reading: An Effective Way to Read to
Preschoolers. Retrieved from
http://www.readingrockets.org/article/400
• Whitehurst, G. J., Arnold, D. S., Epstein, J. N., Angell, A. L., Smith, M., &
Fischel, J. (1994). A picture book reading intervention in day care and
home for children from low-income families. Developmental
Psychology, 30, 679 - 689.
• Zevenbergen, A. A., & Whitehurst, G. J. (2003). Dialogic Reading: A
Shared Picture Book Reading Intervention for Preschoolers. On Reading
to Children: Parents and Teachers (pp. 177-200)