We know that reading books and stories to young children benefits their learning and development, including their communication and language. But evidence suggests that “interactive reading” – during which an adult encourages a child to talk about the story – can be a particularly effective approach.
The EEF Early Years Evidence Store describes ‘interactive reading’ as:
The adult engages in considered actions within the context of shared reading (either one-to-one or with a group of children) that encourage children to become an active participant in ‘reading’ the book (e.g., through engagement with images, text, or questions). Over time the balance of who ‘reads’ or facilitates discussion about the book being read passes increasingly to the child.
In the Early Years Evidence Store we can watch Rachel (a childminding assistant) use the interactive reading approach as she reads a familiar story to an 18-month-old child.
