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Interaction During Story Reading
Why is this important?
Issues to address for students with disabilities
Tools and strategies
(Note: All downloadable activities were created in Boardmaker (Win 5.0) and Classroom Suite and use graphics from these two libraries.)
Why is this important? 
- Story reading is more than simply listening to a story. Children are more attentive and learn more through interaction during reading
- Review of vocabulary and discussion about how the theme relates to a child's own experiences supports comprehension
- Making predictions, commenting, and asking questions support comprehension and language
- Story retelling supports language development
- Discussion about story elements and patterns facilitates knowledge about the language structure of books
Issues to address for students with disabilities may include:
- Lack background experience and knowledge for relating to text read
- Difficulty pointing to pictures and text
- Insufficient receptive language skills for understanding vocabulary and text structures
- Lack sufficient speech for predicting, asking questions, answering questions, commenting
- Insufficient language skills for story retelling
Tools and strategies to address these issues:
Positioning of the child and materials |
Principle |
Tools and Strategies |
Optimal positioning ensures that the child is able to see and interact with the book, with the support materials and with the reader.
Strike a balance between optimal positioning that allows for active engagement with story materials and social closeness of curling up to read a story together.
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Firm hip and trunk support in an upright position provides a foundation for eye movement and for hand and head use.
If positioning is a concern, service should be requested from the occupational or physical therapist on your team.
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Visual and physical access to materials can be enhanced by placing them on a vertical rather than a horizontal plane. |
Adjustable easels or slant boards accommodate a range of needs and provide the adult with an extra pair of hands. |
Manipulation of props and communication materials can be facilitated for children who lack fine motor skills but who have the ability to grasp and release objects.
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Use card stock that is laminated, velcro that sticks to burfab or carpeting and magnetic tape that sticks to a cookie sheet.
View examples
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Other Early Literacy Project Resources
Story Reading
Alphabet Knowledge and Phonological Awareness
Early Writing
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