Early Childhood Educator Preparation to Support High-Quality Language Instruction
Dialogic Reading
MODULE 1
Dialogic Reading is an effective strategy that is used with books to enhance vocabulary and oral language skills. In Dialogic Reading, the book becomes a shared visual and verbal context in which the children learn new words. The children learn to communicate thoughts and ideas using these new words in increasingly complex phrases. This instructional strategy increases the size and diversity of children’s knowledge about the world and the words we use to describe it.
Dialogic Reading can be broken into a five day sequence using the same children’s book. The selected book should have clearly identifiable images and not images in isolation. This instructional strategy uses the pictures to build content knowledge and the understanding of word meanings and concepts.
Since the same book will be used over the course of several days, you will want to carefully choose around five to ten words to focus on extensively. When choosing words for your Dialogic Reading session, you do not want to select unusual words. Instead, teachers should select words that can be most useful to the children.
On day 1, the teacher introduces the book by telling the children the title, author, and illustrator and defining what the author and illustrator do. Then, the teacher reads the entire book. This is the only time during the five day sequence when the children will hear the whole book being read. The main goal on day one is to read the entire book so the children understand the story.
On day 2 and 3, the teacher will point to specific, identifiable objects or actions in the illustrations and ask WH questions that encourage the children to label the pictures. Once the illustration has been labeled, the teacher will ask a follow up question about the color, shape, purpose or function of the picture object(s).
Throughout day 1, 2, and 3, you will want to draw the children’s attention to a wide variety of words represented in the pictures or illustrations throughout the book. Teachers should be especially careful to include words from a variety of parts of speech, not just nouns.
On day 4, the teacher will ask more open ended questions that allow the children to decide what they want to discuss on the pages. The teacher will provide expansions based on the children’s responses.
On day 5, the teacher will ask questions that relate to the story plot as well as the children’s personal experiences.
One way Dialogic Reading differs from other shared reading methods is that it is implemented in a small group of three to five children. Small groups allow children to have many opportunities to actively participate in the interactive book reading. Since Dialogic Reading is implemented in small groups, differentiating instruction is more easily managed. It is likely that within one small group Dialogic Reading session that a teacher asks a labeling question for one child and a more open ended questions for another child in the same group.
Dialogic Reading Lesson Plan Template.docx
Module 1.1 Dialogic Reading Day 2 Session
She prompts all the children to say “beluga whale” together chorally.
She acknowledged their comments, followed the children’s interest and said they would talk more about the lobster and shark the next day.
The children were beginning to get wiggly and the lesson had lasted about 10 minutes.
Module 1.1 Dialogic Reading Day 3 Session
spiny, predator, prey, carnivore, herbivore, sea horse, school
The teacher says things like:
- Are you ready to see this picture?
- This is a good one.
- You’re going to love this picture.
- Who’s ready?
- I’ll show you my last cool picture.
She keeps using the term as she talks about the spiny lobster, the spiny sea horse and the spiny lion fish.
Module 1.1 Dialogic Reading Day 4 Session
The teacher says, “Tell me more about the dolphins. What is black and white?”
The teacher says, “School of fish swimming behind this sailfish.”
The teacher says, “Someone said they see a boat. I see a boat too. I see a shrimp boat.” This expanded on what the children said by adding the adjective shrimp to boat.
Additional Video Resources
Module 1.2 Dialogic Reading Day 2 Session
The teacher asks what type of water is found in a swamp or wetland. When the students struggle to answer, she asks if the water is “clean or muddy?”
Around 1:00, the group learns the word camouflage. The teacher reads part of the book that includes an example of a stonefish blending in and then explains that another way to say blending in is camouflage. Then, the teacher asks why an animal would want to be camouflaged. This is a function question.
Around 0:38, the child points to a picture and asks, “What is that?” The teacher responds by saying, “I don’t know. Let’s see.” Then, she reads part of the book text to find out that it is a stonefish blending in with the coral around it. She uses this part of the discussion to introduce the word camouflage. This part of the lesson exemplifies the standard ELA.RI.PK4.4 – Exhibit curiosity and interest about words in a variety of informational texts.
Module 1.2 Dialogic Reading Day 4 Session
She gives adequate response time and asks, “What else do you know about them?”
The teacher asks, “What do you notice about these animals at the shore?” This open-ended question allows the children to notice any animal on the page and talk about anything the animals are doing.
Around 6:40, the teacher asks, “Do you know what it is called when we stand on one foot?” The child says, “Balancing.” The teacher expands by saying, “They are balancing on one foot.”
