Reading together can bring joy to both children and adults. A popular activity, it combines entertainment with quality time. However, one additional motivation to read is for its educational value. The relationship between the two can easily benefit children if parents and educators incorporate some easy steps.

Adults who ask questions to children during reading time can enhance the understanding of material. Using the 5 W's and the H (who, what, where, when, why, and how), grown-ups can check for comprehension as well as tap into a child's creative side. Additionally, using a variety of emotions (intonations) when the creative questions are asked encourages positive buy-in from the young ones.

I am a children's book author and teacher who makes visitations to schools. I utilize these very same techniques each time I make a presentation. Prior to reading any book, I begin with a series of questions in order to smoothly transition my audience into the upcoming story, and then I continue to ask questions as the action progresses.

For example, just before I start to read the ever-popular Don't Pick Your Nose, I enthusiastically ask students:

"What is a habit? What are some good habits? What are some bad habits?"

Participants come up with a multitude of responses. Most often, however, they share that brushing their teeth and washing their hands are good habits while biting their nails and picking their nose are at the top of the list of negative behaviors.

My next question is, "What makes one habit 'good' and another habit 'bad?'"

My audience then tells me that good habits usually keep a person cleaner and healthier while bad habits can spread germs and cause illness and/or harm.

My last question before starting to read is, "Why is it important to listen to your parents?" We discuss this premise as well.

I then make a segue way into the story by explaining a small portion of the plot of Don't Pick Your Nose: "A little boy has a bad habit. His parents try to help him to change this behavior, but he doesn't listen to them. Let's see what takes place." My young audience is now hooked because they want to see what happens next.

I begin to read the story of a little boy who has a bad habit: he picks his nose. Despite his parents' efforts to modify this conduct, the little boy continues. Then one day, his finger gets stuck in his nose.

Throughout the story, I stop and ask questions. If my audience is very young, I ask about numbers, colors, animals, people, etc. that are seen in the book: "What color is the boy's shirt? How many students are in the classroom? What may be in the boy's backpack?" If my listeners are older, I specifically target some of the State's curriculum standards: "Describe the main character? What is the setting? How does the main character try to resolve his problem? What advice would you offer our main character in regard to his habit?" All of these inquiries encourage students to stay engaged, to look for clues, and to use their imagination.

When the reading has concluded, I transition into higher-level thinking questions: "What is the theme of Don't Pick Your Nose? Would you have ended this story in a different way? If so, how?"

My strategies remain consistent when I read any of my books to children. My intonation fits the mood of each story, and my questions elicit answers that will show whether these young listeners have understood what they've heard. I am happily satisfied at the conclusion of each presentation that students have enjoyed this special event and have learned from the experience.