P.E.E.R Strategy
The P.E.E.R strategy can help facilitate the shared reading experience you have with your child. Each letter stands for a reminder of how to engage with your child when reading a story together.
As you read and ask questions, look at these steps as a way to check off that you are effectively facilitating the shared reading process. We include examples below of how you might talk with your child about Mercer Mayer's "There's a Nightmare in My Closet."
As you read and ask questions, look at these steps as a way to check off that you are effectively facilitating the shared reading process. We include examples below of how you might talk with your child about Mercer Mayer's "There's a Nightmare in My Closet."
P - PROMPT OR INITIATE A CONVERSATION ABOUT THE BOOK
"The very first page of this book says, 'There used to be a nightmare in my closet' and the boy in the picture looks very worried."
"What do you think this story is going to be about?"
"The very first page of this book says, 'There used to be a nightmare in my closet' and the boy in the picture looks very worried."
"What do you think this story is going to be about?"
E - EVALUATE YOUR CHILD'S RESPONSE
Your child might say that the book will be about how scared the child is of nightmares, without realizing that the story refers to his fears in the past tense.
Your child might say that the book will be about how scared the child is of nightmares, without realizing that the story refers to his fears in the past tense.
E - EXPAND UPON YOUR CHILD'S RESPONSE
You can say, “I think you are right. This is a story about how the boy used to feel about going to sleep at night.
He says, "There used to be a nightmare in my closet so I bet he doesn’t think that anymore.”
You can say, “I think you are right. This is a story about how the boy used to feel about going to sleep at night.
He says, "There used to be a nightmare in my closet so I bet he doesn’t think that anymore.”
R - REPEAT THE INITIAL QUESTION
You might ask, “So, if he used to be scared of nightmares and he isn’t anymore, what do you think will happen in this book?”
If she needs an additional prompt, you can say, “How do you think he will stop being so afraid?”
You might ask, “So, if he used to be scared of nightmares and he isn’t anymore, what do you think will happen in this book?”
If she needs an additional prompt, you can say, “How do you think he will stop being so afraid?”
Reference
Whitehurst, G. J., Falco, F. L., Lonigan, C. J., Fischel, J. E., DeBaryshe, B. D., Valdez-Menchaca, M. C., et al. (1988). Accelerating language development through picture book reading. Developmental Psychology, 24, 552–559
Whitehurst, G. J., Falco, F. L., Lonigan, C. J., Fischel, J. E., DeBaryshe, B. D., Valdez-Menchaca, M. C., et al. (1988). Accelerating language development through picture book reading. Developmental Psychology, 24, 552–559