Reading a story together with your child can help build your child's expressive vocabulary and language. Shared reading is a simple and delightful way to not only build these skills but to also bond with your child and get them engrossed and engaged in the world of books! It is also a great method to introduce certain concepts to the child - e.g. emotions, descriptions, prepositions, etc. 


Make sure you customize Avaz to include the core words in the story and discuss the story as you read along!                 



Benefits of Shared Reading

  • communication skills
  • vocabulary 
  • listening skills
  • comprehension 
  • bonding with parent-child
  • increases love for books
  • progress towards literacy
  • introducing concepts


Strategies for Shared Reading

 

Here is a great strategy that you can use for Shared reading, called the CAR (Comment-Ask-Respond) Strategy. It involves asking Comments, Asking a question and Responding, while modelling on Avaz. It suggests asking questions related to:

C- Completion

R - Recall

O - Open-ended

W - Wh questions

D - Distance




How to do Shared reading


a. Pick a story 


Pick a story of the child's choice. Offer a choice through Avaz and help them pick it. Use the Reading Core words board (see below). Model the highlighted words as you interact with them.

  • Do you want to read now? Yes or no?
  • Which book do you like to read? 
  • Get me your favourite book.


    CORE WORDS BOARD for READING

    

Pick your child's favourite book or pick any book that has pictures and is colourful and appealing to the child. 


If you don't have one handy, here is a sample story to try:


The Lost Ball


Click here to download Lost Ball.pdf (e-book)


b. Create a folder with the name of the book in Avaz


Books > Lost Ball 


Lost ball folder in Avaz

You can also download the folder and import it to Avaz - (.avc file) can be imported to Avaz as a folder. See attached file at the end of the page. 


c. Read the book aloud

As you read the book, model the important core words using Avaz. Use the opportunity to     introduce turn-taking as you turn the pages- using the Core Reading board.

  • Turn the page.
  • Now it's your turn to turn the page. 
  • Now it is my turn to turn the page


 d. Use CAR Strategy while reading


Use CAR Strategy (given above) to engage with your child - using a Comment, asking a Question and giving the response. 


    e. Interact after reading the book

    

        After you finish reading a book, interact using the CORE board again.

  • I like the book. 
  • Did you like the book?
  • Do you want to read a different one?
  • Do you want to read the next story?


  • Always give them the power to choose, to reject, and to object. This is an important step in building choice-making in children. Tell them that they can request you to stop anytime, using stop.
  • All they need to do is communicate it to you using AAC, be it on their high tech AAC system or low tech board.
  • As you read the story, discuss about emotions in the characters of the story. Also ask how the child feels during the story.
  • Note: You don't have to model words for every page. Modelling just a few words while you have complete attention on the book is also fine. Some people find their children are not looking at the device and wonder why - it is possibly because the child is more interested in the book. 


Here is another book to try:


Gappu can't dance 


Download Gappu can't dance - e-book

Download Suggested interactions : Gappu can't dance (using CAR strategy)

Download Core Board and Story related words: Gappu can't dance

Download Story folder (.avc file) from attachment below. This can be imported into Avaz directly. 


RAAP Strategy for Shared Reading


Here is another strategy that you may have come across although it is not as popular - RAAP Strategy, since it is more question-oriented, rather than comment-oriented. 





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Avaz Blog - Tips for Shared reading with AAC