Boost Brain Power with Active Reading
You're snuggled on the couch with your mug of reheated coffee and your child cozied up next to you, ready to crack open a book. But two minutes later, they’re upside down, dangling off the armrest, and trying to get the dog to smell their socks. Sound familiar?
If you’ve ever wished for more attentive kids during reading time, I’m thrilled to introduce you to a reading secret that I wish I had discovered sooner: you can get kids more interested in reading, help improve their comprehension, and expand their vocabulary just by using a few simple active reading strategies.
What is Active Reading?
Active reading isn’t just about reading the words on a page in a seamless beginning-to-end flow — it’s about deeply engaging with the material, with frequent breaks to explore the meaning behind the words and pictures.
Active reading is a technique where you engage your child before, during, and after you read, stopping the flow of the story to ask questions, point out details, encourage children to predict what’s next, and connect the book to your child’s world. It’s less sit-and-listen and more "let’s experience this together." Active reading keeps kids from zoning out and:
Builds vocabulary
Boosts reading comprehension
Improves focus and memory
Sparks curiosity and creative thinking
Engages critical thinking skills
Encourages reluctant readers
Active Reading Strategies
Active reading is a process best employed from beginning to end — meaning you’ll want to start asking kids questions before you even crack open the cover! Engage their critical thinking skills by reading the title out loud then looking at the cover art, then having kids describe what type of book they think it will be and how they think the plot will go. Then use these strategies to keep the conversation flowing:
Ask open-ended questions: What do you think will happen next? Why do you think they made that choice?
Make connections: Have you ever felt like that? Does this remind you of something we’ve seen/done?
Explore illustrations: What’s happening in the background? What do you notice about their expressions?
Still not sure where to start? Scroll down to get my FREE list of recommended questions for active reading — for both fiction and nonfiction books!
Conversation Starters
If you aren’t familiar with this strategy, it can be helpful to start with books that are naturally designed to help encourage conversation as you read, such as:
You Choose by Pippa Goodhart and Nick Sharratt
There’s very little to read here, just gorgeously detailed illustrations that encourage your child to build their own story! Every page is bursting with choices — from where you want to live to what pet you’d have.
Active reading tip: Ask your child to explain why they chose a certain option. You'll be amazed at what that simple question reveals.
Gobble Gobble Moo Tractor Book by Jez Alborough
If you have a wiggly toddler or preschooler who is reluctant to sit still for reading, this book is a read-aloud dream. Each page invites kids to copy silly animal sounds as they echo through a tractor. It’s noisy, it’s goofy, and it’s perfect for reluctant readers.
Active reading tip: Let them predict which animal is next based on the sounds — or better yet, make up a new sound and guess what animal it would match!
Wheels and Springs and Moving Things by Sally Rippin
This book is going to be an instant hit with any child who loves vehicles and “things that go.” Based on the popular “School of Monsters” series, the heavily illustrated book is a little reminiscent of Richard Scarry’s art style, and gives plenty of visual depth to start as many conversations as you’d like. Each page includes counting and look-and-find games to help keep kids more deeply engaged.
Active reading tip: The book explores various jobs related to vehicles — ask your child which is their favorite, which one they’ve seen in action, and which one they’d most like to do!
Caring for Pets (Shine-a-Light: My World) by Carron Brown and Vanya Laing
This interactive book quite literally shines a light on hidden images — when you shine a flashlight behind the page, a secret image will appear! This is a large book series, so there are topics to resonate with just about any child’s passion, but if they haven’t yet focused in on one subject, this is a great one to try. Caring for Pets teaches responsibility and empathy while sparking curiosity, and the use of a flashlight to reveal more detail will naturally engage reluctant readers.
Active reading tip: Encourage your child to guess what’s behind each page before shining the light — perfect for improving their inferencing skills and critical thinking.
Izzy the Inventor and the Unexpected Unicorn by Zanna Davidson
Active reading strategies aren’t just for picture books and young kids! It’s also important to continue this style of reading even as your child grows into chapter books and independent reading.
In Izzy the Inventor and the Unexpected Unicorn, Izzy is a relatable heroine with an inventor’s curious spark. She’s firmly grounded in science and not in fluffy fantasies, so imagine her surprise when she finds herself in a hilarious adventure involving a very unexpected unicorn. This chapter book series blends fiction with STEM inspiration.
Active reading tip: Ask, "What would YOU invent?" to stretch imagination, spark STEM interest, and build confidence.
If you’ve got a reluctant reader — or just a wiggly one — active reading is your new superpower. But even if you have the most patient, dedicated young reader at home, don’t skip these strategies! They are a sure-fire way to boost the brain-building power of your family’s read-alouds. While it can take a little getting used to if you are accustomed to a beginning-to-end flow, active reading strategies are super simple! With just a curious question here and there, suddenly you’ll find that you’re not just reading — you’re connecting.
To get started, fill out this quick form below to get my free Active Reading Cheat Sheet, with more than 60 ready-to-go questions that will help you start some fun and engaging conversations.
Happy reading — and happy connecting!
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