Here are two activities for parents and teachers that will help children get the most from their Star Wars™ reading experience.


Making the Most of the Read-aloud Experience
By Linda B. Gambrell, Distinguished Professor Education, Clemson University

Every parent will tell you that children love to hear favorite books read to them over and over and over again. There are a number of read-aloud techniques that have been shown to be effective in promoting reading development. Research indicates that reading a book aloud to young children just once is not sufficient for increasing oral language and reading skills. The repeated reading of a familiar text, however, has been shown to promote reading and oral language proficiency of young children. Repeated read-alouds involve reading the book three times, but in different ways across several days, so that the child has multiple opportunities to hear the language of the book and talk about the ideas in the book. In the first reading, introduce the story and pose a question about the book to increase the child’s curiosity and engage the child in thinking about the story. During the first read-aloud, ask a few questions, particularly questions that will help the child think more deeply about the book (Why did….? What do you think about…? What do you think the word _____ means?). During a second read aloud, provide more elaborate vocabulary explanations and ask questions that will extend the meaning of the events in the story. Ask the child if he/she learned (or found out) anything new about the story. During the third reading, pause periodically and have the child tell about what happens next (What’s happening here?), provide explanations about why certain events take place (Why do you think…), or make comments about the story.

Across the repeated read-alouds, encourage interaction by inviting discussion. This “give and take” conversation around a shared book engages children in predicting, inferring, and thinking and reasoning.

• Invite children to choose from among several books the one the would most like to have you read aloud.
  
  
• Invite children to read-aloud. Read-aloud is often used synonymously with teacher/parent read-aloud. And though teachers and parents should read-aloud daily, inviting children to occasionally read-aloud a self-selected part of a page or book can be motivating and build confidence as a reader. Inviting the child to read aloud is most effective during the third repeated reading of the book.
  
  

Increasing Vocabulary and Writing Skills
By Linda B. Gambrell, Distinguished Professor Education, Clemson University

• After reading a book in the DK Star Wars Reader series, invite the child to send a postcard (or give a phone call) to a grandparent/relative to tell them about the book. For younger children, the parent or teacher can take dictation if the child chooses to write a postcard.
  
  
• After repeated readings of a book, invite the child to tape record a “retelling” of the story or to tape record the reading of a favorite part of the book.
  
  
• Create a Star Wars bulletin board at school or at home. After reading each of the Star Wars books, invite the child to find 3 favorite words from the story. Write the words on index cards post them on a Star Wars bulletin board. Children may want to illustrate the meaning of the words on the back of the card or even write a sentence using the word or describing the illustration.
  

The DK Star Wars books have high motivational appeal. Motivation is central to reading development and the message is clear that children of all ages are interested in the Star Wars characters and their stories. DK Star Wars books can support children in developing the reading habit – and the more a child reads, the better reader he/she becomes.

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