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Dialogic reading

A way of reading picture books where the adult asks questions and builds on the child's answers, so the child gradually becomes the one telling the story.

What It Means

Dialogic reading is a method of shared picture book reading in which the adult and child trade roles. The adult asks questions, listens, and adds to what the child says, and over time the child takes over more of the telling. It follows a short sequence called PEER and uses five kinds of prompts remembered as CROWD.

Try It: Walk Through One PEER Round

One PEER round on a page showing a dog in a puddle. The lines are an example.

1. Prompt

Ask about the page: "What's this?"

Child: "Dog."

Step 1 of 4

How Parents Say It

  • "What do you think happens next?"
  • "Wait, you tell me this part."
  • "Remember when we saw a duck like that at the pond?"

The Breakdown

PEER, the sequence

  1. Prompt: ask your child something about the book.
  2. Evaluate: notice the answer and respond to it.
  3. Expand: repeat it back with a bit more information.
  4. Repeat: encourage your child to say the longer version.

CROWD, the five kinds of prompts (used in any order, per the WWC)

PromptWhat it asksExample
CompletionFill in a blank, often a rhyme"The cat sat on the..."
RecallRemember what happened"What did the bear find?"
Open-endedDescribe a picture in their own words"Tell me about this page."
Wh-What, where, who, why, when"Where is the ball?"
DistancingLink the book to their own life"Have you ever been to a farm?"

By age. The Stony Brook project developed dialogic reading for reading with preschoolersPreschoolerA child from 3 to 5 years old, the age band the CDC uses for its preschool parenting guidance. See more. With a younger toddlerToddlerA child from 1 to 3 years old, the stage CDC's parenting guidance places between infancy and the preschool years. See more, simple "What's that?" questions and naming pictures fit best; CDC lists pointing to things in a book when asked among the milestonesDevelopmental milestonesSkills most children can do by a certain age, like rolling over or waving bye-bye. CDC places each at the age 75% or more of children reach it. See more most children reach by 2 years. Older preschoolers can handle recall, open-ended and distancing prompts. These age suggestions are ours.

When to talk to the doctor. If your child rarely answers or points by the ages on CDC's language checklists, or you have any concern about hearing or speech, bring it up with your child's doctor.

Where It Comes From

Grover Whitehurst developed dialogic reading with the Stony Brook Reading and Language Project at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. The Institute of Education Sciences' What Works Clearinghouse has reviewed it in intervention reports, including a revised report in 2007 and a 2010 report on young children with disabilities.

Good to Know

In its reviews, the What Works Clearinghouse reported positive effects on oral language and no discernible effects on phonological processing. Its 2010 report on children with disabilities found potentially positive effects on communication and language. So dialogic reading is a language-building method; sound and letter skills such as phonemic awarenessPhonemic awarenessThe ability to hear, pick out and play with the single sounds (phonemes) in spoken words, like hearing that "cat" is made of three sounds. See more come from other practice.

FAQ

What is the difference between dialogic reading and regular reading aloud?

In ordinary reading aloudReading aloudReading a book out loud with a child, from birth on. The AAP advises it because shared reading builds language, early literacy skills and the parent-child bond. See more the adult reads and the child mostly listens. In dialogic reading the adult asks questions and builds on the answers, so the child does more of the talking and eventually tells the storyUser storyA short description of something a product should do, written from the point of view of the person who needs it, often in the form "As a, I want, so that." See more.

What do PEER and CROWD stand for?

PEER is prompt, evaluate, expand and repeat, the sequence for each exchange. CROWD names five prompt types: completion, recall, open-ended, wh- and distancing questions, used in any order.

Does dialogic reading work?

The What Works Clearinghouse reported positive effects on oral language in its reviews of dialogic reading. It found no discernible effects on phonological processing, so it's best seen as a way to build language.

Do It in Buhata

Reminders

Set a Reminder in Buhata before bedtime story time that says "Try one CROWD question tonight" so the habit sticks.

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Related Terms and Categories

  • Reading aloud

    Reading a book out loud with a child, from birth on. The AAP advises it because shared reading builds language, early literacy skills and the parent-child bond.

  • Early literacy

    The language, sound and book skills a child builds from birth, well before reading, that later support learning to read and write.

  • Expressive language

    The sending side of language: putting wants, thoughts and ideas into words, signs, gestures or writing. Receptive language is the understanding side.

  • Language development

    How a child learns to understand and use sounds, gestures and words, from early squeals to first words, two-word phrases and short stories.

  • Phonemic awareness

    The ability to hear, pick out and play with the single sounds (phonemes) in spoken words, like hearing that "cat" is made of three sounds.

  • Kindergarten readiness

    How prepared a child is for kindergarten, in social, emotional, language, thinking and physical skills, alongside meeting their state's entry age.

Parenting and child development

Sources

What Works Clearinghouse, Institute of Education Sciences, "Dialogic Reading" intervention report (revised February 8, 2007); What Works Clearinghouse, "Dialogic Reading" intervention report (April 2010); WWC, "Dialogic Reading" intervention page; IES, "Grover Whitehurst"; Reading Rockets, "Dialogic Reading: An Effective Way to Read Aloud with Young Children"; CDC, "Milestones by 2 Years"

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