Have you ever noticed how kids can say more words than they recognize or spell?  The first building blocks of reading come not from our eyes, but our ears.  Part of the process of learning to read is adding a visual connection to words we use every day.  Building those word banks doesn't happen at the same pace -- or even in the same way -- for all learners. 

There are a number of ways to help your child add to his or her word bank that don't require worksheets, flashcards, or drills.  One of my favorites is partner reading.  You may have heard it called buddy reading, shared reading, or paired reading.  Some teachers use it in their classrooms, and it is a strategy you can easily do it at home.

Taking turns reading -- whether you alternate paragraphs, pages, or chapters -- can benefit readers of all levels.  For many readers, a full page of text can be overwhelming.  Taking turns requires them to follow along, but also reduces some of the pressure they may feel.  Because you are "sharing the load," odds are pretty good that your child will read longer than he or she would have.  That makes it easy to get in those 20 minutes of reading kids need every day.

Books with lots of dialogue are great choices for partner reading.  Many easy readers use dialogue to propel the story.  Easy readers are those 6-inch by 9-inch books with short sentences, varying levels of illustration, and wide margins (i.e., lots of white space).  More often than not, you'll see a label that shows it is a book for kids learning to read (I Can Read, Step Into Reading, Easy to Read, Kids Can Read, etc.).

There are also books that are written in a script format, where readers take a "formal" part for the whole book.  Mary Ann Hoberman's series You Read to Me, I'll Read to You is a great example.  These humorous, contemporary stories offer everything from "very short Mother Goose Tales" to "very short scary stories."  If you've got a child who likes to act the part, these are great books.  Ask your librarians for books that lend themselves to "reader’s theater."  You may find familiar stories tooled just for partner reading.

No matter what kind of book you choose, when you read together, you are helping your children fill their word bank.  While you read aloud, they follow along because they need to know where to pick up.  Reading aloud -- and listening to you read -- also helps them practice fluency.  Emerging readers sometimes are so focused on reciting the words they can sound robotic.  Partner reading gives them the chance to see and hear how sentences are read smoothly, with voice changes based on the information on the page.