While you are reading with your child, this creates a perfect opportunity for you to start them to be an active listener.  In order to make sure they are not just daydreaming but also truly paying attention to the story, it is important that you stop every so often and ask them some questions.

Active questions may include:

    - Who is…?
    - What would happen if…?
    - Why did…?
    - Do you think…?
    - What does ________ mean?
    - How is this part similar/different to…?
    - Have you ever felt like…?

It is also beneficial to stop every now and then and have your child make a prediction.

Prediction starters may include:

    - I think that…
    - I wonder if…
    - I bet that…
    - I think that…
    - Since this happened, I know…
    - Reading that part makes me think _______ will happen.

While reading aloud to your child, you can model how as a good reader you are thinking while you are reading.  It sometimes a hard concept for children to grasp that a good reader is constantly thinking and analyzing what they are reading.

Examples of how to share how you are thinking during the story are:

    - This part is really saying…
    - Now I understand…
    - I think it means…
    - This part makes sense now that…
    - Oh, I get it…

To incorporate more about their opinion about a story, try using some of these sentence starters for your child to finish.

    - My favorite part so far is…
    - I didn't understand…
    - The part I didn't enjoy was…
    - I wish that…
    - A confusing part was…
    - I would change…

The most important thing is that your child is reading and reading aloud to your child.  It is also very valuable for your child to see you reading for pleasure.  It is amazing how much children model their parents' behavior.  In today's world it is crucial to have a good reading base in order to succeed in everything from cooking to programming a new appliance.  Help your child be ahead of the game of life instead of struggling to catch up with the others.