September 17, 2026

Reading Together: Building Communication Through Shared Stories

QuickStart Quick Tips!

Reading with your child is one of the simplest ways to create opportunities for communication, connection and learning. You don’t need to read every word on every page or finish the whole book. What matters most is sharing the experience and following your child’s interests.

Every story can introduce new words, build listening skills and give children opportunities to practice how conversations and stories work.

As you read together, try:

• Pointing to pictures and talking about what you see.
• Labelling objects, actions and feelings – “Look, a dog!” or “The puppy is running!”
• Pausing to give your child time to communicate in whatever way works for them, including words, sounds, gestures, signs, or pointing, etc.
• Following their interests. If your child wants to spend five minutes looking at one picture, that’s okay! You can talk about what interests them rather than moving through every page.
• Taking turns. You can take turns turning pages, pointing to pictures, making sounds or choosing what to look at next.

These small interactions create opportunities to practice joint attention, turn-taking, and back-and-forth communication while building connection with your child.

Did You Know?

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is a free book-gifting program that provides registered children with a high-quality, age-appropriate book mailed directly to their home each month, from birth until their fifth birthday. Books are provided at no cost to families.

The books are selected with children’s developmental stages in mind, and the Canadian collection includes books by Canadian authors and illustrators.

Availability is based on where you live. Families can use the Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library Canada program finder to check whether the program is available in their community and learn how to register.

Find Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library program in your community