Since the story "Goose Girl" is rich in figurative language and idiomatic expressions, it is good to take a few minutes to ask questions before, during and after the reading to aid your child's understanding. Avoid questions that can be answered with just a "yes" or "no." Ask the types of questions that will help your child interpret, predict and draw conclusions. If you do this often, your child will soon be asking questions on his own. Some examples are:

What do you think this story will be about?

What do you think will happen next?

What did it mean when it said, "... the princess poured out her heart to the iron stove?"

Who is your favorite character in the story?

Is there anything in the story that you didn't understand?

Have some fun with other expressions.

Discuss what they mean.

It's raining cats and dogs.

I'm so hungry, I could eat a horse!

He couldn't fight his way out of a paper bag!

Pub Date: 9/23/98