Reading a story to a child introduces them to vocabulary, narrative structures and ways of seeing the world. The question facing parents and educators is measurable: which book formats, types of interaction and routines have an observable effect on children’s curiosity? The answers vary depending on the child’s age, the medium and, above all, how the adult guides the story.
Dialogic or passive reading: what changes in a child’s development
Most parenting guides recommend reading aloud. Few distinguish between two very different practices: linear reading (the adult reads while the child listens) and dialogic reading (the adult asks questions, while the child comments, rephrases and predicts what will happen next).
| Criterion | Linear reading | Dialogic reading |
|---|---|---|
| Child’s role | Listener | Co-narrator |
| Vocabulary used | Receptive (comprehension) | Expressive (production) |
| Type of questions | None or closed-ended | Open-ended (“What do you think will happen?”) |
| Effect on curiosity | Familiarity with stories | Active exploration of the story |
| Typical duration | A few minutes | Longer (with pauses and discussion) |
The dialogic approach turns reading into a conversation. Inviting a child to retell the story, name the characters or imagine a different ending encourages them to form hypotheses. This is what sparks curiosity, far more than passively listening to a text.
In the world of P Comme Plimplim, stories and characters are designed to encourage this kind of interaction between adults and children.
Children’s book formats: matching the medium to age and purpose
A textured board book serves a different purpose from a narrative picture book or a comic. The format directly shapes the kind of curiosity it engages in a child.
Sensory books and picture books for children under three
Touch-and-feel, lift-the-flap and sound books engage fine motor skills and sensory exploration. Children handle, pull and scratch. At this stage, curiosity is tactile and visual before it becomes narrative.
Picture books play a different role: they link a word to an image. Naming objects aloud while pointing to the pictures builds a toddler’s receptive vocabulary.
Picture books and first stories for children aged three to six
From the age of three, children can follow a storyline. Picture books featuring recurring characters let them anticipate how the hero will react. This anticipation is a clear sign of narrative curiosity: the child wants to know what will happen next.
Varying genres (fairy tales, animal nonfiction, stories about everyday life) keeps children from being limited to a single type of story. Offering different ways into reading broadens the scope of their curiosity.
Comics, audiobooks and digital formats for children over six
An analysis published by The Conversation in November 2024 notes that young readers also engage with digital formats and a variety of literary practices. Comics, poetry and audiobooks are not lesser formats: they are valid gateways to longer stories.
France’s Ministry of National Education also encourages the use of a variety of formats to sustain a love of reading beyond primary school.
Practical barriers to reading together at home
Presenting daily reading as simply a matter of parental willpower ignores real obstacles. Lack of time, no suitable books at home and a parent’s lack of confidence reading aloud can all make it harder to maintain a regular routine.
- The time available varies from one family to another. A few minutes a day are enough: consistency matters more than the length of each session.
- Access to books is still unequal. Public libraries offer free book borrowing, helping children avoid getting tired of the same books.
- A parent who doesn’t feel comfortable reading can tell a story without a book, describe the pictures in an album or use an audiobook as a shared activity.
Recognizing these barriers makes it possible to offer alternatives instead of issuing demands. A child who hears stories told freely, without a printed book, also develops narrative curiosity.
Accessible stories: including children with disabilities
Supporting children’s interest in reading isn’t just for those who can hold a book or follow printed text. Tactile books (with raised elements and textures), sign-language picture books, books with pictograms and audiobooks enhanced with sound descriptions make stories accessible to children who might otherwise be excluded.
Adapting reading time can also involve simple steps: slowing down, pairing a character with a real object, or asking questions with visual choices. The goal remains the same: to invite the child to interact with the story rather than simply experience it passively.
Reading routines and lasting curiosity: what makes the difference
A reading routine works when it pairs a specific time (in the evening, after a snack) with a predictable setting. This predictability doesn’t stifle curiosity; it channels it. The child knows reading time is coming and starts wondering which story they’ll hear.
- Letting the child choose the book strengthens their engagement. Even if they ask for the same story several nights in a row, repetition deepens their understanding of it.
- Taking turns reading (a parent, grandparent or older sibling) changes the tone and interpretation, refreshing the experience without changing the text.
- Following the story with an open-ended conversation (“What would you have done in their place?”) turns reading into an exercise in active imagination.
Curiosity grows through interaction around a book, not from the book alone. A book left on a shelf does nothing by itself. It’s the voice, the question and the shared glance at an image that spark the desire to learn more. Format, age and medium all matter, but the decisive factor is the quality of the interaction between adult and child as the story unfolds.
