Research has shown us that in order for parents to engage with their 
children in literacy activities during PACT, they must be taught 
specific techniques and given a chance to practice these techniques 
during parent time.  We use to say, "read to your child!"  Then we 
learned that there is reading and then there is interactive 
[dialogic] reading.
Specific techniques include CAR, CROWD and PEER.

C =comment and wait so the child has time to respond
A=ask questions and wait so the child has time to respond
R=respond by adding a little more and wait.

The waiting has to do with the fact that a child needs time to 
process and formulate a response.  I have made parents little count 
out eight seconds under their breath to teach them waiting skills.

P=Prompt.  Ask the child a question about something on the page
E=Evaluate  Think about what the child says
E-Expand  Either gently correct or add information.
R= Repeat  Ask the child the repeat the correct information or 
additional information

C=Completion  Useful in rhymes.  Let child complete phrase
R=Recall  Ask child what details about story
O=Open-ended  "Tell me what's going on in this picture."
W=What, where, why  Asking questions specific to the picture or story.
D=Distancing Ask questions that relate the story to the child's life.

This may sound stiff and formulaic, but in reality it can be very 
conversational and easy.  The trick is to teach each technique 
seperately and allow enough time to practice before trying it out on 
the children.  This works with ESOL also and low literate parents 
because of the practice time.
-- 
Sarah Beaman-Jones
Literacy Program Developer
LIFT-Missouri
815 Olive Street, Suite 22
St. Louis, MO 63101
1-800-729-4443
1-314-678-4443 x206
1-314-678-2938 [fax]
http://lift-missouri.org