Where is it?

I love the simple picture book Where's Spot? by Eric Hill. Spot's father searches for him everywhere. With each lift-the-flap, he finds a different animal but not Spot.

In addition to reading the words on a page, having a conversation about what you see and think is important as well. For example, "Spot's not under the rug. What is under the rug? What noise does he make?" If you see your child interested in something in particular on the page, focus your questions and answers on that. Even if your child doesn't answer, you can do so saying, "That's right. That is a snake, a green snake, hiding under the rug." This builds vocabulary and comprehension skills.

Continue these skills by playing a game around your house. Pick an object familiar to the child and go on a search for it. Look for it under the sink, behind the sofa, in a cooking pot, under the bed, or wherever else. Wait for your little one's response and then answer them.