(Reading Tip # 5)Reading to Your Curious Child - Handling Questions

Are Interruptions Diluting Your Reading Experience

Questions are good. It means your child is interested, curious, paying attention and motivated to read. But sometimes they distract from the reading experience. If I were to answer all of M’s questions while reading a book, I’d probably not have finished even half a picture book in 2 years. ( “Whose dog is this? Why is he here? Why is he so big? What’s this baby doing? Why aren’t you reading?” Uh. I was in the middle of answering your first question, when you asked me the other four?)

Questions start conversations and having conversations about the book you’re reading with your child is fantastic. Necessary even. But when and how you tackle questions determines how enjoyable and fruitful your reading experience turns out to be. Too many interruptions tend to spoil the flow of a story or book. At the same time, if you proceed in a monotone from cover to cover, you can’t blame Junior for wiggling away between pages 1 and 2.

When you’re reading to a child or a group of kids, curiosity and questions are inevitable and essential to the learning process.  But, are there techniques help you handle them in a manner that’s least distracting and most effective?

I’ll share some methods that I use with M, which work sometimes. Maybe they’ll work for you too. Try these steps separately or in combination – whatever you and your child find enjoyable. Nothing works perfectly all the time, of course. We’re talking about parenting here! If you have ideas on handling reading interruptions and questions – please do share them.

Tips for handling Reading Interruptions:
To Answer or Ignore – That is the Question!

Establish rules and offer a gentle reminder before you begin. “Remember how we said that we’d hold off questions till we finish reading the book/ or this section? That way it’ll be more interesting and we can figure out the answers together at the end.”
When you sense a question coming, beat your kid to it. Ask her a question. About something on the page. Or why do you think…or what do you think…Anything to encourage her to think instead of expecting you to answer.
Tackle minor Qs as they come at ya’. Yeah the teeny ones are easy to get over with so you can get on with the book.
Encourage them to think about the answer, or wait till you finish reading…keep the curiosity alive. “That’s a great question. Maybe we’ll find out on the next page.”
Take on bigger, more complex questions in the second reading. “Why don’t we finish the book and then see if we can figure it out?”
Never scold your child for interrupting with a question. It immediately sends them the wrong signal and reading turns from an enjoyable, bonding experience to another of those ’do as Mommy says’ activities. If 1,2 and 3 fail, then do your best to answer your child’s questions. It’s ok if that delays your reading of the book or you’re unable to finish it even. As long as your child paid attention, was interested enough to ask questions and listen to your answer-congratulate yourself on a highly productive reading session and a wonderful bonding time.

It’s your turn – How do you handle interruptions and questions while reading with kids?

Also check out:
Reading to Your Baby Series – Tip 1, Tip 2, Tip 3, Tip 4