{"id":1743,"date":"2026-08-16T08:42:34","date_gmt":"2026-08-16T08:42:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lovetoread.ai\/blog\/?p=1743"},"modified":"2026-08-17T08:49:23","modified_gmt":"2026-08-17T08:49:23","slug":"dialogic-reading","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lovetoread.ai\/blog\/dialogic-reading\/","title":{"rendered":"Dialogic Reading: How to Turn Any Picture Book Into a Conversation With Your Child"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>\/* mxchat-css *\/\n\/* MxChat \u2014 Fullwidth Theme Reset *\/\r\n\/* Generic WordPress themes *\/\r\n.entry-content-wrap,\r\n.entry-content,\r\n.post-inner .entry-content,\r\n.container.site-content,\r\narticle .entry-content,\r\n.content-area .site-main,\r\n.single-content .entry-content,\r\n.type-post .entry-content,\r\n.type-page .entry-content,\r\n.page .entry-content,\r\n.single .entry-content {\r\n    padding: 0 !important;\r\n    max-width: 100% !important;\r\n    width: 100% !important;\r\n}\r\n\/* Outer wrappers that themes 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}\n    .mxg-section-heading {\n      font-size: 1.5rem;\n    }\n    .mxg-compare-grid {\n      grid-template-columns: 1fr;\n      gap: 0.75rem;\n    }\n    .mxg-age-grid {\n      grid-template-columns: 1fr;\n    }\n    .mxg-cta-box {\n      padding: 2rem 1.5rem;\n    }\n    .mxg-cta-heading {\n      font-size: 1.4rem;\n    }\n  }\n  @media (max-width: 480px) {\n    .mxg-container {\n      padding: 1rem 1rem 2rem;\n    }\n    .mxg-hero-heading {\n      font-size: 1.65rem;\n    }\n    .mxg-hero-subheading {\n      font-size: 1.05rem;\n    }\n    .mxg-section-heading {\n      font-size: 1.3rem;\n    }\n    .mxg-p {\n      font-size: 1rem;\n    }\n    .mxg-ul li,\n    .mxg-ol li {\n      font-size: 1rem;\n    }\n    .mxg-cta-heading {\n      font-size: 1.2rem;\n    }\n    .mxg-cta-button {\n      font-size: 0.95rem;\n      padding: 0.75rem 1.5rem;\n    }\n    .mxg-meta {\n      gap: 0.6rem;\n    }\n  }\n\/* MxChat \u2014 Hide Title *\/\r\n.entry-title,\r\n.page-title,\r\n.post-title,\r\n.wp-block-post-title,\r\n.ast-title-with-post-meta-wrapper,\r\n.ast-the-title,\r\n.generate-page-header .page-hero,\r\n.entry-header .entry-title,\r\n.entry-hero .entry-title,\r\n.kadence-page-title,\r\n.wp-site-blocks .entry-title,\r\n.ocean-single-post-header,\r\n.page-header,\r\n.nv-page-title-wrap,\r\n.nv-post-title,\r\n.elementor-page-title,\r\n.et_pb_title_container .entry-title,\r\n.brxe-post-title,\r\n[data-hero] .page-title,\r\n.hero-section .page-title,\r\n.entry-header {\r\n    display: none !important;\r\n}\r\n<\/style>\n\n\n<article class=\"mxg-container\">\n\n  <h1 class=\"mxg-hero-heading\">Dialogic Reading: How to Turn Any Picture Book Into a Conversation With Your Child<\/h1>\n  <p class=\"mxg-hero-subheading\">How dialogic reading\u2014reading <em>with<\/em> your child instead of <em>to<\/em> them\u2014makes bedtime stories richer, warmer, and way more fun for both of you.<\/p>\n  <p class=\"mxg-meta\">\n    <span>August 2026<\/span>\n    <span class=\"mxg-meta-dot\">\u00b7<\/span>\n    <span>8 min read<\/span>\n    <span class=\"mxg-meta-dot\">\u00b7<\/span>\n    <span>For parents of 2\u20136 year olds<\/span>\n  <\/p>\n\n  <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"mxg-img\" src=\"https:\/\/lovetoread.ai\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/mxchat-content-1786869392-9PYMl6.png\" alt=\"A parent and young child sit together at bedtime with a colorful picture book open between them, the child pointing excitedly at an illustration while the parent leans in and listens warmly\">\n\n  <h2 class=\"mxg-section-heading\">You Know That Feeling\u2014Let's Start There<\/h2>\n\n  <p class=\"mxg-p\">Picture the scene: it's the fifth night in a row with the same board book. Your child is wiggling. You are somewhere between tired and beyond tired, and somewhere in the back of your mind you are quietly racing for the last page so the lights can finally go out.<\/p>\n\n  <p class=\"mxg-p\">That feeling is completely normal, and it does not make you a bad parent. It makes you a tired one, which is the same thing.<\/p>\n\n  <p class=\"mxg-p\">But here is the shift that changes everything: <span class=\"mxg-highlight\">the book on your lap is not a script you have to get through.<\/span> It is a conversation starter, and the conversation is the whole point. Once you stop trying to reach the last page and start treating each spread as something to talk about, storytime stops feeling like a chore\u2014even when it is the same book for the fifth night running.<\/p>\n\n  <p class=\"mxg-p\">This guide is written for the person actually holding the book. Not a teacher, not a researcher\u2014just a parent on the edge of the bed who wants bedtime to feel a little less like a performance and a little more like connection. Most of what you'll find online about this topic is aimed at educators. This is not that. This is for you.<\/p>\n\n  <hr class=\"mxg-divider\">\n\n  <h2 class=\"mxg-section-heading\">What Dialogic Reading Actually Is (In One Plain Sentence)<\/h2>\n\n  <p class=\"mxg-p\">Dialogic reading\u2014<em>dialog-ic<\/em>, meaning \"made of dialogue\"\u2014is simply the practice of pausing during a picture book to talk with your child instead of reading straight through to the end.<\/p>\n\n  <p class=\"mxg-p\">That's it. No special materials, no flashcards, no app. Just you, the book, and a genuine back-and-forth.<\/p>\n\n  <p class=\"mxg-p\">The core idea is that a child who <em>talks<\/em> during a story takes more from it than a child who listens in silence\u2014not because silence is bad, but because saying something out loud, in their own words, helps a young child make the story their own. The same principle carries past the last page, when you close the book and ask them to <a href=\"https:\/\/lovetoread.ai\/blog\/story-retelling\/\">tell the whole story back to you<\/a>. When your child explains why the bear looks sad, or guesses what is behind the door, or tells you that the dog in the picture looks exactly like their friend's dog, they are doing real cognitive work: connecting the story to their own life, building vocabulary, and practicing how to put thoughts into words.<\/p>\n\n  <p class=\"mxg-p\">You are not teaching a lesson. You are having a chat. The book just gives you something to chat about. If you want to go deeper on making reading an active experience, <a class=\"mxg-link\" href=\"https:\/\/lovetoread.ai\/blog\/how-to-make-reading-interactive-for-kids-2026-guide\/\">this guide on making reading interactive for kids<\/a> covers a range of approaches that work well alongside dialogic reading.<\/p>\n\n  <div class=\"mxg-takeaway\">\n    <p class=\"mxg-takeaway-heading\">The Core Shift<\/p>\n    <p><strong>Reading TO your child<\/strong> sounds like: <em>\"Let's read this one.\"<\/em><\/p>\n    <p><strong>Reading WITH your child<\/strong> sounds like: <em>\"Look at the cover. What do you think happens?\"<\/em><\/p>\n    <p>One is a performance. The other is a conversation. Both involve the same book.<\/p>\n  <\/div>\n\n  <hr class=\"mxg-divider\">\n\n  <h2 class=\"mxg-section-heading\">Getting Past \"What Color Is the Duck?\"<\/h2>\n\n  <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"mxg-img\" src=\"https:\/\/lovetoread.ai\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/mxchat-content-1786869393-hffWLX.png\" alt=\"A parent and four-year-old child sit side by side with an open picture book, the child raising a finger mid-sentence while the parent listens attentively with a warm smile\">\n\n  <p class=\"mxg-p\">Most of us default to one kind of question when we read with kids: the naming question. What color is that? What animal is this? What does the cat say? These questions are not wrong, but they have a ceiling\u2014there is only one right answer, and your child knows you already know it.<\/p>\n\n  <p class=\"mxg-p\">The questions that <em>open a child up<\/em> are the ones where you genuinely do not know the answer, because the answer lives inside your child's head, not on the page.<\/p>\n\n  <p class=\"mxg-p\">Try questions that start with <span class=\"mxg-highlight\">\"Why do you think\u2026\"<\/span>, <span class=\"mxg-highlight\">\"What would you do if\u2026\"<\/span>, <span class=\"mxg-highlight\">\"How does she feel?\"<\/span>, or <span class=\"mxg-highlight\">\"What do you think happens next?\"<\/span> These are sometimes called open-ended prompts\u2014which just means questions with more than one possible answer.<\/p>\n\n  <table style=\"width:100%;border-collapse:collapse;font-size:15px;line-height:1.5;margin:24px 0;\"><thead><tr style=\"background:#f4f1ea;\"><th style=\"padding:10px 12px;border:1px solid #e0dbd0;text-align:left;\">Kind of question<\/th><th style=\"padding:10px 12px;border:1px solid #e0dbd0;text-align:left;\">What it sounds like<\/th><th style=\"padding:10px 12px;border:1px solid #e0dbd0;text-align:left;\">What you get back<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td style=\"padding:10px 12px;border:1px solid #e0dbd0;\"><strong>Naming<\/strong><\/td><td style=\"padding:10px 12px;border:1px solid #e0dbd0;\">&quot;What color is the duck?&quot;<\/td><td style=\"padding:10px 12px;border:1px solid #e0dbd0;\">The word you already knew they had. A fine warm-up, not a conversation.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"padding:10px 12px;border:1px solid #e0dbd0;\"><strong>Open-ended<\/strong><\/td><td style=\"padding:10px 12px;border:1px solid #e0dbd0;\">&quot;What&#039;s happening on this page?&quot;<\/td><td style=\"padding:10px 12px;border:1px solid #e0dbd0;\">Their version of the story, in their own words.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"padding:10px 12px;border:1px solid #e0dbd0;\"><strong>Why \/ how<\/strong><\/td><td style=\"padding:10px 12px;border:1px solid #e0dbd0;\">&quot;Why do you think he ran away?&quot;<\/td><td style=\"padding:10px 12px;border:1px solid #e0dbd0;\">Reasoning &mdash; your child links one thing to another out loud.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"padding:10px 12px;border:1px solid #e0dbd0;\"><strong>Recall<\/strong><\/td><td style=\"padding:10px 12px;border:1px solid #e0dbd0;\">&quot;What happened to the balloon before?&quot;<\/td><td style=\"padding:10px 12px;border:1px solid #e0dbd0;\">Memory carried across pages, which is where comprehension starts.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"padding:10px 12px;border:1px solid #e0dbd0;\"><strong>Connection<\/strong><\/td><td style=\"padding:10px 12px;border:1px solid #e0dbd0;\">&quot;Has that ever happened to you?&quot;<\/td><td style=\"padding:10px 12px;border:1px solid #e0dbd0;\">The story tied to their own life, which is what makes it stick.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"padding:10px 12px;border:1px solid #e0dbd0;\"><strong>Prediction<\/strong><\/td><td style=\"padding:10px 12px;border:1px solid #e0dbd0;\">&quot;What do you think she&#039;ll do next?&quot;<\/td><td style=\"padding:10px 12px;border:1px solid #e0dbd0;\">A guess they will want to check, which keeps the pages turning.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n\n  <div class=\"mxg-compare-grid\">\n    <div class=\"mxg-compare-card mxg-compare-card--to\">\n      <p class=\"mxg-compare-label mxg-compare-label--to\">Reading TO them<\/p>\n      <ul>\n        <li>Read the sentence, turn the page<\/li>\n        <li>\"What color is the duck?\"<\/li>\n        <li>Close the book, lights out<\/li>\n      <\/ul>\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"mxg-compare-card mxg-compare-card--with\">\n      <p class=\"mxg-compare-label mxg-compare-label--with\">Reading WITH them<\/p>\n      <ul>\n        <li>\"He looks worried. Why do you think he's worried?\"<\/li>\n        <li>\"What would you do if you were her?\"<\/li>\n        <li>\"What was your favorite part? What would you have done?\"<\/li>\n      <\/ul>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n\n  <p class=\"mxg-p\">Before the book is even open, try: <em>\"Look at the cover\u2014what do you think happens in this one?\"<\/em> Partway through a page, instead of reading the sentence and turning, pause: <em>\"She looks worried. Why do you think she's worried?\"<\/em> After the last page, instead of reaching for the lamp: <em>\"What was your favorite part? What would you have done?\"<\/em><\/p>\n\n  <p class=\"mxg-p\">You do not have to hit every page with a question. Two or three good pauses per book is plenty. The goal is a conversation, not a quiz. <span class=\"mxg-highlight\">None of this is a test. There are no right answers.<\/span><\/p>\n\n  <hr class=\"mxg-divider\">\n\n  <h2 class=\"mxg-section-heading\">How to Follow Your Child's Answer Instead of Correcting It<\/h2>\n\n  <p class=\"mxg-p\">This is the part that feels hardest at first: when your child gives an answer that is \"wrong\"\u2014or just unexpected\u2014the instinct is to gently correct and move on. Try to resist that instinct.<\/p>\n\n  <p class=\"mxg-p\">If you ask \"Why is the rabbit hiding?\" and your child says \"Because he doesn't like his hat,\" that answer is not wrong. It is <em>your child's<\/em> answer, and it tells you something about how they are reading the picture and the story.<\/p>\n\n  <p class=\"mxg-p\">Follow it. Say: <em>\"Oh, he doesn't like his hat\u2014what kind of hat would he like better?\"<\/em> Now you are in a real conversation, and your child has just done something impressive: they invented a motivation for a character. Expanding on what your child says\u2014rather than replacing it with the \"right\" answer\u2014keeps them talking and keeps them feeling like their ideas matter, because they do.<\/p>\n\n  <blockquote class=\"mxg-blockquote\">\n    <p>A child who wanders off topic to tell you about something that happened at the park is still doing the thing\u2014they are <strong>connecting the story to their world<\/strong>, which is exactly the point. Let them wander. Come back to the page when they're ready.<\/p>\n  <\/blockquote>\n\n  <hr class=\"mxg-divider\">\n\n  <h2 class=\"mxg-section-heading\">What to Do When the Answer Is \"I Don't Know\"<\/h2>\n\n  <p class=\"mxg-p\">\"I don't know\" is not a dead end. It is an invitation to think out loud together.<\/p>\n\n  <p class=\"mxg-p\">When your child says \"I don't know,\" try modeling your own guess: <em>\"I'm not sure either. I think maybe she's scared because it's dark. What do you think?\"<\/em> You are showing them that guessing is allowed, that wondering is allowed, and that you do not always have the answer either.<\/p>\n\n  <p class=\"mxg-p\">Sometimes \"I don't know\" means the question was a little too big or abstract. Try making it smaller and more concrete: instead of \"How do you think he feels?\" try \"Does his face look happy or sad to you?\" One question asks them to name an emotion; the other just asks them to choose between two.<\/p>\n\n  <p class=\"mxg-p\">And sometimes \"I don't know\" means your child is tired and just wants you to read the words. That is fine. Read the words. The conversation will be there tomorrow night. For more ideas on <a class=\"mxg-link\" href=\"https:\/\/lovetoread.ai\/blog\/how-bedtime-stories-are-often-read\/\">how bedtime stories can be read well<\/a>, it helps to think about the whole ritual\u2014not just the questions you ask.<\/p>\n\n  <hr class=\"mxg-divider\">\n\n  <h2 class=\"mxg-section-heading\">The Same Book, Every Single Night<\/h2>\n\n  <p class=\"mxg-p\">If your child has one book they want on repeat for weeks, you are not alone, and you have not failed at introducing variety. Young children find deep comfort and genuine pleasure in repetition\u2014it is how they learn, and it is how they feel safe.<\/p>\n\n  <p class=\"mxg-p\">The good news is that dialogic reading makes repetition interesting again, because the conversation is never exactly the same even when the words are.<\/p>\n\n  <div class=\"mxg-takeaway\">\n    <p class=\"mxg-takeaway-heading\">How to Keep the Same Book Fresh<\/p>\n    <p><strong>Night 1:<\/strong> \"What do you think will happen?\"<\/p>\n    <p><strong>Night 3:<\/strong> Since they now know what happens\u2014\"Why do you think it happened that way?\"<\/p>\n    <p><strong>Night 7:<\/strong> \"You know this book so well. What would you change if you were the author?\"<\/p>\n    <p><strong>Night 12:<\/strong> Put the book in their lap. Let them tell <em>you<\/em> the story while you hold the pages.<\/p>\n  <\/div>\n\n  <p class=\"mxg-p\">A child who has heard the same book dozens of times and can narrate it back to you has done something real. That book is theirs now.<\/p>\n\n  <hr class=\"mxg-divider\">\n\n  <h2 class=\"mxg-section-heading\">How This Looks Different at Two Versus Five<\/h2>\n\n  <p class=\"mxg-p\">The technique scales with your child. You are always just one step ahead of where they are\u2014asking questions that are slightly bigger than what they could answer alone, and then helping them get there.<\/p>\n\n  <div class=\"mxg-age-grid\">\n    <div class=\"mxg-age-card\">\n      <p class=\"mxg-age-label\">Around Age 2<\/p>\n      <p>Point to the picture, name what you see, invite them to name it too. \"Look\u2014what's that?\" \"Dog!\" \"Yes! A big fluffy dog. Can you find another dog on this page?\" That is enough, and it is plenty.<\/p>\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"mxg-age-card\">\n      <p class=\"mxg-age-label\">Ages 3\u20134<\/p>\n      <p>Simple \"why\" and \"what if\" questions work well. They will give you answers that are wild and wonderful and completely their own. Follow those answers wherever they go\u2014even if they end up talking about the grocery store.<\/p>\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"mxg-age-card\">\n      <p class=\"mxg-age-label\">Ages 5\u20136<\/p>\n      <p>Ask about a character's feelings, what they would have done differently, what the story made them think about. A five-year-old can sustain a real back-and-forth, and those conversations can be genuinely surprising.<\/p>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n\n  <p class=\"mxg-p\">The questions change shape as your child grows, but the approach stays the same: pause, wonder out loud, and let them lead. This is also one of the most natural ways to <a class=\"mxg-link\" href=\"https:\/\/lovetoread.ai\/blog\/how-to-spark-a-childs-imagination-a-2026-guide\/\">spark a child's imagination<\/a>\u2014not with a special activity, but with a question asked over a picture book at bedtime.<\/p>\n\n  <hr class=\"mxg-divider\">\n\n  <h2 class=\"mxg-section-heading\">Yes, This Works With Nonfiction Too<\/h2>\n\n  <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"mxg-img\" src=\"https:\/\/lovetoread.ai\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/mxchat-content-1786869395-aQxhKC.png\" alt=\"A parent and five-year-old child lie on their stomachs on a rug, looking at a colorful nonfiction picture book about insects, the child pointing at a large beetle illustration with a fascinated expression\">\n\n  <p class=\"mxg-p\">Picture books about trucks, bugs, weather, or space are perfect for this approach\u2014maybe even better than fiction for some kids, because the questions feel real rather than made-up.<\/p>\n\n  <p class=\"mxg-p\">Before you open a nonfiction book, try: <em>\"What do you already know about frogs? What do you wonder about them?\"<\/em> Then, as you read, pause and ask: <em>\"Did you know that? Does that surprise you?\"<\/em><\/p>\n\n  <p class=\"mxg-p\">After the last page: <em>\"What's one thing you want to remember from this book? What do you still want to know?\"<\/em> That last question\u2014<span class=\"mxg-highlight\">what do you still want to know?<\/span>\u2014is one of the most powerful things you can ask a young child, because it tells them that curiosity does not end when the book closes.<\/p>\n\n  <p class=\"mxg-p\">If your child is obsessed with a particular nonfiction topic, lean into it hard. A child who wants to talk about excavators for twenty minutes while you look at a book about construction vehicles is doing exactly what they should be doing. That enthusiasm is something worth <a class=\"mxg-link\" href=\"https:\/\/lovetoread.ai\/blog\/how-to-develop-a-love-for-reading-a-2026-guide\/\">nurturing into a lifelong love of reading<\/a>\u2014and it starts right there on the floor with the bug book.<\/p>\n\n  <hr class=\"mxg-divider\">\n\n  <h2 class=\"mxg-section-heading\">You Are Allowed to Skip the Words<\/h2>\n\n  <p class=\"mxg-p\">This one surprises a lot of parents: you do not have to read every word on the page. The text in a picture book is a guide, not a legal document.<\/p>\n\n  <p class=\"mxg-p\">If your child is fixated on a detail in the illustration that has nothing to do with the printed sentence, put the sentence down and talk about the detail. That is where your child's mind is, and that is where the conversation belongs. You can paraphrase, you can skip pages that are not landing tonight, you can go back to a page you already passed.<\/p>\n\n  <p class=\"mxg-p\">The book is a tool for connection, and you are in charge of how you use it. If you want to take the idea of a personalized story even further\u2014one where your child is literally the main character\u2014<a class=\"mxg-link\" href=\"\/personalized-gifts\">LoveToRead lets you create a custom story starring your child<\/a>, which can make the whole experience feel even more immediate and personal.<\/p>\n\n  <p class=\"mxg-p\">But even a worn-out board book from the library bag works perfectly. The magic is in the conversation, not the book itself.<\/p>\n\n  <hr class=\"mxg-divider\">\n\n  <h2 class=\"mxg-section-heading\">A Quick Note If You Have Worries<\/h2>\n\n  <p class=\"mxg-p\">This guide is not here to make you anxious about your child's development\u2014it is here to make storytime more enjoyable for both of you. If something about your child's language or communication genuinely concerns you, the right first step is a conversation with their teacher or pediatrician, who knows your child and can give you real guidance.<\/p>\n\n  <p class=\"mxg-p\">For everyone else: you are doing great. The fact that you are reading a guide about how to read better with your child means you are already the kind of parent who shows up. That matters more than any technique.<\/p>\n\n  <hr class=\"mxg-divider\">\n\n  <h2 class=\"mxg-section-heading\">Putting It All Together<\/h2>\n\n  <p class=\"mxg-p\">Dialogic reading is not a curriculum and it is not a program. It is a small shift in how you hold a book\u2014from performer to conversation partner. You pause a little more. You ask questions you do not already know the answer to. You follow your child's ideas instead of steering them back to the text. You let the story be a starting point rather than a destination.<\/p>\n\n  <p class=\"mxg-p\">The practical moves are simple:<\/p>\n\n  <ul class=\"mxg-ul\">\n    <li><strong>Before the book opens:<\/strong> \"What do you think this one is about?\"<\/li>\n    <li><strong>Partway through a page:<\/strong> \"He looks nervous. Why do you think that is?\"<\/li>\n    <li><strong>After the last page:<\/strong> \"What was your favorite part? What would you have done?\"<\/li>\n    <li><strong>When they go off topic:<\/strong> Follow them. They are connecting the story to their world.<\/li>\n    <li><strong>When they say \"I don't know\":<\/strong> Model your own guess. Wonder out loud together.<\/li>\n    <li><strong>When it's the same book again:<\/strong> Change the question, not the book.<\/li>\n  <\/ul>\n\n  <p class=\"mxg-p\">There are no right answers. There is no wrong way to talk about a picture book. A child who is talking\u2014about the story, about the pictures, about something completely unrelated that the story reminded them of\u2014is a child who is engaged, connected, and learning. And you, tired parent holding the book at the end of a long day, are the reason that is happening.<\/p>\n\n  <p class=\"mxg-p\">If you're looking for more ways to make reading feel alive and personal, the ideas in <a class=\"mxg-link\" href=\"https:\/\/lovetoread.ai\/blog\/how-to-make-reading-fun-a-2026-guide-for-parents\/\">this guide on making reading fun<\/a> pair naturally with everything covered here.<\/p>\n\n  <div class=\"mxg-cta-box\">\n    <p class=\"mxg-cta-heading\">Ready to Make Storytime a Two-Way Street?<\/p>\n    <p class=\"mxg-cta-subheading\">Start tonight. Pick up whatever book is on the nightstand, look at the cover together, and ask your child what they think happens. That's the whole first step. The rest will follow.<\/p>\n    <a class=\"mxg-cta-button\" href=\"\/personalized-gifts\">Create a Personalized Story Starring Your Child<\/a>\n  <\/div>\n\n<\/article>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Dialogic reading means talking with your child during a picture book instead of reading straight through. A plain guide for parents of 2-6 year olds.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1740,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"hide","_kad_post_layout":"fullwidth","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"unboxed","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1743","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Dialogic Reading: Turn Story Time Into a Conversation<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Dialogic reading means talking with your child during a picture book instead of reading straight through. 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