Jennifer Dobbs, an assistant professor of developmental studies in Purdue’s Department of Child Development and Family Studies, says that when it comes to reading, the technique may be just as important as the time spent together.

“When we think of reading, the traditional bedtime story where the child cuddles up next to the parent and then falls asleep as he is read to usually comes to mind,” Dobbs said.

“That’s a beautiful picture and it has its place, but from the learning perspective it is kind of like reading as a tranquilizer.”

Dobbs recommends that parents practice dialogic reading, a more active form of reading that encourages input from the child. First studied during the 1980s by Grover “Russ” Whitehurst of the State University of New York at Stony Brook, dialogic reading has been shown to accelerate children’s learning of pre-reading skills, better equipping them for success in school.

“Dialogic reading makes story time more of a conversation between parents and children,” Dobbs said. “We know that when parents and teachers read this way, kids learn new information more quickly. They also retain the ideas better.” …

“There’s nothing wrong with a bedtime story,” Dobbs said. “Kids thrive on routines and rituals, but it would be too bad if the only experience a child had of being read to was when they’re expected to drift off to sleep.”

Source: Inside Bay Area, CA
http://www.insidebayarea.com/bayarealiving/ci_6785961