Conversational Reading

Children are active in conversational reading

It is like a conversation, asking the child to do something

and not always following the words in a book.
Lets get started

Produced by
Joseph Sparling
Craig T. Ramey
Collette Tayler
Conversational Reading

Mums, dads, grandparents, Read anywhere and anytime.

and older siblings can do
conversational reading.

Get the whole family involved! …indoors, outdoors, in bed, on the bus, at the doctor’s.

© 2015 University of Melbourne and Joseph Sparling Page 2 of 14

Conversational Reading

Conversational reading Use the 3S strategy.

goes back-and-forth
Ask your child to respond
on 3 levels.

Your child does You do

SAY
something something

SHOW
Your child does You do
something something
SEE

The child does not always have to talk in the “conversation”. Think of the levels as stair steps.
He can take part by looking and by pointing.

© 2015 University of Melbourne and Joseph Sparling Page 3 of 14

Conversational Reading

ACTIVITY 1

Watch your baby’s eyes.

Does she look where you point?

STEP 1

SEE

© 2015 University of Melbourne and Joseph Sparling Page 4 of 14

Conversational Reading

ACTIVITY 2 ACTIVITY 3

Name anything your child Then, point to and name

sees or touches in the book. pictures or words your child
Say the key word first. is not looking at.

Banana. You’re
looking at the yellow
banana.

Check to see if his eyes follow.

© 2015 University of Melbourne and Joseph Sparling Page 5 of 14

Conversational Reading

ACTIVITY 4 ACTIVITY 5

Point to lots of pictures. Sometimes point to parts of

Say interesting things about them. the book and name them.

See, this is the See, these are

Sometimes make “mistakes” front of the book. the pages.
and let the child correct you.

© 2015 University of Melbourne and Joseph Sparling Page 6 of 14

Conversational Reading

ACTIVITY 6

Point to the first word on a page and

tell him that’s where the reading starts.

STEP 2

SHOW

© 2015 University of Melbourne and Joseph Sparling Page 7 of 14

Conversational Reading

ACTIVITY 7 ACTIVITY 8

Let your child’s eyes, hands, Ask your child to “show”

and actions tell if he understands in interesting ways.
what you are saying

Where is Put your finger Tickle the

a flower? under the dog. monkey’s toes.

Yes, you
showed me!
Cover the
man’s hat.

© 2015 University of Melbourne and Joseph Sparling Page 8 of 14

Conversational Reading

ACTIVITY 9 ACTIVITY 10

Sometimes invite her to “act out” the Let your child to show
answer to a question about the book. you parts of the book.

Show me a picture.
How does
the kangaroo
move?

Now... show me
some words.
How do
people clap
their hands?

© 2015 University of Melbourne and Joseph Sparling Page 9 of 14

Conversational Reading

ACTIVITY 11

Invite your child to “say”

– to answer in words.

STEP 3 Tell me what the

cow is doing.

Eating grass!

SAY

© 2015 University of Melbourne and Joseph Sparling Page 10 of 14

Conversational Reading

ACTIVITY 12 ACTIVITY 13

Leave a word or two You don’t always have to

out of a sentence. use children’s books. Sometimes
Let your child supply them. use magazines.
The duck said…

…Not I!

Talk about the pictures together.

© 2015 University of Melbourne and Joseph Sparling Page 11 of 14

Conversational Reading

ACTIVITY 14

Invite your child to “say”

– to answer in words.

Who? When?

Where? Why?

© 2015 University of Melbourne and Joseph Sparling Page 12 of 14

Conversational Reading

Ask yourself: Am I doing these things?

Every day I read with my child 

I let my child do something (look, point, talk) when we read 

I use the 3S strategy: see, show, say 

To inquire about additional copies of the publication, contact: 3a-info@unimelb.edu.au

© 2015 University of Melbourne and Joseph Sparling Page 13 of 14

Conversational Reading

Credits
Page 1 Photo from The Creative Curriculum® LearningGames® (12-24 months),
by J. Sparling, I. Lewis & D. Dodge, 2008, Washington, DC: Teaching
Strategies, LLC. Copyright 2008 by Teaching Strategies, LLC. Reprinted
with permission.

Activity 7 Photo courtesy of the King Hussein Foundation and the Iman Early
Learning Institute

Activity 11 Photo courtesy of the King Hussein Foundation and the Iman Early
Learning Institute

Activity 13 Photo from The Creative Curriculum® LearningGames® (36-48 months),

by J. Sparling, I, Lewis & D. Dodge, 2008, Washington, DC: Teaching
Strategies, LLC. Copyright 2008 by Teaching Strategies, LLC. Reprinted
with permission.

© 2015 University of Melbourne and Joseph Sparling Page 14 of 14