Experts generally agree that taking all opportunities to read books and other material aloud to children is the best preparation for their learning to read. The pleasures of being read to are far more likely to strengthen a child's desire to learn to read than are repetitions of sounds, alphabet drills, and deciphering uninteresting words.
Lilian KatzCommunicative skills develop when there's something meaningful for children to communicate about-when they are taking an active role.
Lilian Katz