Before engaging in dialogic reading with young children, it is important to carefully select and prepare the book so that you can maximize the benefits of the storybook reading. Sometimes books may be preselected as part of a particular curriculum, so you may not have a choice. Books should be appropriate for the children’s age level, in terms of length, language, basic concepts, and emotional content. The books also should be appealing to young children. Teachers should select books with simple narrative plots, numerous illustrations, and limited words per page. Predictable, repetitive books help children learn the language so that they can eventually read books on their own.
Follow the instructions in Activity 6.4a to learn how to select a book using Handout 6.2.