Your Child Will Learn
How to connect what they read in books to real-life experiences.
Here’s What to Do
- Invite your child to read with you and let them choose the book.
- While reading, connect this story to your own life or another book.
- Encourage your child to connect the story to their own life and experiences.
Put PEER Into Action
PAUSE
- Sit in your reading space. Feel your bodies sink into the chair, pillows, or bed.
ENGAGE
- “Can you tell me about a time you felt the same way as the girl in the book?”
- “We read a book over the weekend that was also about pets. Can you help me remember what happened in that story?”
ENCOURAGE
- If your child needs help connecting a book to their life, model making a connection to your own life first. “I know how that little boy feels! I felt sad when….”
- Help your child make connections to their life: “This reminds me of our walk yesterday. Does anything from this story remind you of our walk yesterday?”
REFLECT
- “Does this book remind you of anything else?”
Not Quite Ready
Ask your child what they would do in various situations the book characters find themselves in.
Ready for More
Ask your child to share opinions they have about the book. (Did the characters make the right decisions? Does the story seem realistic? What would they change about the story?)
As Your Child Masters This Skill
They will be able to connect more elements of a story to the real world and their own lives.
Time to Complete
10 minutes
Materials Needed
A picture book