This paper was prepared by Anita Mortlock.
Biography
Anita Mortlock is a lecturer in the School of Educational Psychology and Pedagogy at Victoria University. She is currently researching interactions at mat sessions and as such has an interest in the ways that we read books with children. Anita currently coordinates an Early Childhood paper that incudes examination of the development of young children's literacy skills.
Introduction
Sharing books is one of the most significant experiences in the development of children's literacy skills and vocabularies1. Reading books can also foster their curiosity, excite their imaginations and help them to better understand themselves and our world. There are many ways to read a book with children, however the approach discussed in this article is one where children and adults explore and make sense of the text and pictures together.
1 See: Ard. L.M. and Beverly. B. (2004). Preschool word learning during joint book reading: Effect of adult questions. Communication Disorders Quarterly, 26(1), 17-28.