One open question can help a child think about the meaning of a book, comic or school text. Asking for the clue shows how their idea connects with what they read.

Ask one worthwhile question

After a natural section, ask about an event, character or idea:

• “Why do you think the character hid the letter?”

• “What do you think will happen next?”

• “What was the most important fact on this page?”

Then ask: “Which words, sentence or picture gave you that idea?”

For example, in Fantastic Mr Fox by Roald Dahl, you might ask, “Why do the foxes keep digging deeper?” Your child might point to the part where the farmers start digging after them.

If the child is unsure, return to the relevant part and think aloud once: “I noticed the character looked at the door before whispering. That makes me think they did not want to be heard.”

Let the child offer another interpretation when the text supports it. Do not ask a series of questions after every page or turn leisure reading into a quiz.

If your child does not want to talk about a book, keep it casual. Mention something you enjoyed in a book you are reading, or let them choose what to talk about. If they would rather not, leave it for another time.

Over time, reduce the prompt and encourage the child to notice when an idea comes directly from the text and when it uses something they already know.

Comics, graphic novels and non-fiction all count. If you need more to read, children can join their local library for free.

Talamo has no commercial relationship with any of the organisations named here. We suggest them only because we think they could be useful to families.