Today in my summer school class of rising kindergartners, i was reading a book to Jacob. We looked at the pictures together. there were all sorts of animals in the book. Elephants, gorillas, dolphins. Jacob helped with the animal noises. He even knew what a dolphin sounded like. In the book there was dialog in which children where whispering. I whispered the words, and Jacob leaned toward me to hear. By Jacob becoming involved with the story, he could relate on a different level of understanding. He made his own predictions and conclusions based on the story line, which was about a young boy who wanted friends to come over to his house to see all the animals. his friends didn't believe he could have had all those enormous animals. Jacob predicted the little boy didn't have those animals either. Reading interactively with Jacob guided him into a thinking process he may not have necessary had if i had just opened the book and not involved him.

In this same class is Charlie. Charlie doesn't speak English. communicating with Charlie has been a challenge to say the least. i was able to acquire a book with picture of items and objects with the English words and Spanish words. a "my first Dictionary." that book has been a Godsend. i brought out the book the first day of summer school to find easy words, like the Spanish words for colors for example. He fell in love with the book. he would point to things and say the Spanish word for that object and i would say the English version. When Charlie sees the book he moves his chair beside me for our "little lesson." The other children in the class have enjoyed the book as well. Reading interactively with Charlie using this book, has helped tear down the language barrier between student and teacher. I can tell Charlie has truly appreciated my efforts by his smiling face. His interactions with the other students has greatly improved.

Don't ever doubt the power of a good book and your ability to involve your child or student in that book. When we read interactively with children, we are teaching them to think, to become more involved with the story, and to possibly reflect on past experiences.

Learn more about this author, Maggie Savory.
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