When reading any book with your child, use the suggestions I have listed here to enhance the story and encourage good reading habits that will impact reading comprehension. 

	Retelling a story is a very important skill.  Retelling is different from summarizing.  In retelling a story, your child should start at the beginning by mentioning the main character and citing important events in order.   A fun way to help in the development of this skill is to purposely not finish a book you are reading to him.  Then, when you continue the story, have your child “refresh your memory” of what has happened so far.  Maybe another person will finish the book.  That person will definitely need to know what has already happened in the story.  Let your child look at the pictures while retelling.  This helps in sequencing the events.
	Picture reading is extremely important even if your child is a good reader.  Pictures offer many clues to the content of the story.  Always have your child refer to the pictures before and after reading a page.  Ask questions about the story that maybe only the pictures can answer.
	If you want your child to keep a log containing information about the books he has read, have him list the title, author, and the following information:             *who the book is about (main character)             *where the story takes place (setting)             *what problem the main character has or what he is trying to accomplish             *what plans he makes to solve his problem             *whether or not the plans work These elements are in almost all stories your child will be reading. Your child can add personal thoughts about the story.  Be sure to discuss these log entries, maybe asking your child to locate some of the information in the story to read to you.
	While your child is reading to you, make a mental note of any word he seems to have difficulty remembering.  Then, as you continue reading together, and when you turn to the next page, quickly scan the page for one of these words.  Then say, “I see the word ______.  Can you find it?”  This method can also be used for children learning to recognize the letters of the alphabet.  Use the same process to find letters on the page.
	You can write the words your child is learning on slips of paper.  Have them handy while you read with your child.  Again, as you are reading, scan the page for a word or two, show your child the slip of paper with the word on it, pronounce the word, and ask him to find the word on the page.  You can also have your child watch and listen for the word as you read.
	Even though beginning reader books are written for children to read, instead of adults reading to them, there will be words used that your child will not know.  As you read with your child and you see a word you suspect your child will not know, point to it and tell him the word.  If your child is reading out loud to you and stops to figure out a word, give him no more that a couple of seconds, then tell him the word.  The next time you see the word, point it out and ask him what it is or tell him again.  Talking about difficult words before being expected to know them is a great confidence builder.  It sends the message that you do not expect him to know all the words and that you are willing to help.
	Help your child learn new words by matching a word in the text with something in the picture.  For instance, maybe there is a tree, or apple or dog in the picture.  Look for these words in the text.  High correlation between text and pictures is an integral part of books for beginning readers.
	Help your child make connections while reading.  If the child in the story has a dog, and your child has a dog, make comparisons.  If you are reading an ABC book, and you have another ABC book, compare them.  If the story mentions something in your community or area that your child knows about or has access to, such as a museum, zoo, or park, bring this knowledge into the discussions you have while reading the book.  This helps your child apply his own experiences to his reading, helping him to better understand the content.