Reading - November 1993 5. Storybook reading, done in the context of sharing experiences, ideas, and opinions, is a highly demanding mental activity for children. Each reading situation is a relaxed, social one, with emphasis on enjoyment and appreciation of the stories, songs, rhymes, chants, raps and poems. The literature is carefully chosen for its high quality of language and illustrations and often includes rereading of favorite stories and poems. Following shared reading, students have opportunities to reread the literature independently.
Readers construct meaning about what they read using their background or prior knowledge.
Similarly, the discussion among readers and listeners that occurs in response to shared text is an important part of the story-time experience. Using interactive strategies such as story-based discussions along with storybook reading helps children construct meaning and understand stories that are read to them. Also, when children have repeated experiences with stories, their interpretive responses become more varied and more complex. Children's stories, both oral and written, have been the subject of important research on the development of children's ability to construct coherent text.