How Shared Book Reading Can Improve Your Child’s Speech

When you sit down with your child and open a book, you’re doing far more than just reading words on a page — you’re creating a rich language-learning environment. Books introduce new vocabulary, strengthen listening skills, spark imagination, and give children natural opportunities to practice speech sounds and grammar. Whether your child is eight months old or eight years old, shared book reading is one of the most effective (and enjoyable!) ways to support communication growth.

Hi, I’m Brittany, a speech-language pathologist at Metro Therapy. Today, I want to talk about how shared book reading can increase your child's speech and language development.

9 Speech & Language Skills You Can Target with Books

We often use books in speech-language therapy sessions because they provide an easy, engaging way to practice a wide variety of skills. With just one book, you can support vocabulary, sound development, grammar, comprehension, storytelling, and more. Here are just a few of the skills you can target with books:

1. Identifying Pictures

Have your child point to pictures or named objects on each page. Example: “Where’s the dog? Can you point to the apple?”

2. Imitating Gestures, Sounds, and Words

Use gestures, sound effects, or simple words and encourage your child to imitate you. Example: animal sounds, waving, pretend actions in the book.

3. Filling in the Blanks

Pause during predictable books. Example: “Brown bear, brown bear, what do you…” → your child fills in “see?”

4. Labeling Items

Ask your child to name objects on the page.

5. Answering Wh- Questions

Ask simple questions like who, what, where, when to build comprehension.

6. Using Longer Phrases and Sentences

Encourage your child to describe what they see using more words.

7. Inferencing Skills

Ask questions like, “What do you think will happen next?”

8. Problem-Solving Skills

Discuss how a character might solve a challenge: “How could he fix this? What are some ideas?”

9. Story Retelling

After reading, ask your child to tell the story back in their own words. This builds sequencing, memory, and expressive language.

Using Books to Practice Speech Sounds

Also, if your child is working on speech sounds, you can practice with almost any book. As an example, if your child is working on the S sound or the R sound, you can pause and repeat words that contain these sounds as they come up in the book. Depending on your child's skill level, they can practice saying the word by itself or using it in a sentence.

Tips for Successful Shared Book Reading

Finally, I want to provide a few tips for shared book reading with your child.

1. Let Your Child Lead

Allow your child to read the book as he or she wishes. For younger children, that may mean jumping around or revisiting favorite parts again and again.

2. Talk About the Pictures

Don't just read the words. Explore and discuss what's happening in the pictures.

3. Ask Questions Throughout

Ask your child questions. Inquire about what they see in the pictures and what's happening in the story.

4. Act Out the Story

Act out what's happening in the book. For example, if something exciting happens, ask your child to make a face that expresses what's happening in the story or how they think the character feels.

Want Support Building Strong Speech and Language Skills at Home?

If you’d like personalized guidance or want help choosing books that target your child’s goals, our team is here to support you. Call us at (763) 450-9400 to schedule an appointment or speak with a therapist.