How to Make Reading Together More Meaningful: Simple Conversation Prompts and Activities

Reading together is already a gift. A few small habits can make it even more meaningful, and none of them take much time. Here are simple ways to turn a story into a conversation.

Before you read

• Look at the cover together. What do you think this story will be about?
• Ask what your child already knows about the season, the setting, or the activity in the story.

While you read

• Pause now and then and ask, “What do you think will happen next?”
• Point out the pictures and ask what your child notices.
• Let your child turn the pages. It keeps little hands and minds involved.

After the last page

• Which part was your favorite, and why?
• How do you think a character was feeling?
• Has something like this ever happened to us?
• What would you have done?

Keep the story going

Reading does not have to stop when the book closes. Try one of these:

• Color a favorite scene, then tell the story in your own words. Our free printable resources are there for this.
• Draw a new ending, or a picture of what happens the next day.
• Make a recipe together if the book includes one. The Brighton's seasonal books do.

There is no right way to do this. Pick one idea that fits your day and let the conversation go where it wants to. If you are looking for a story to start with, you can explore the books.

One bright little page at a time.