Oral Language

Introduce the book. Talk about the title and author of the book. Look at the pictures on the cover. Ask your child what he thinks this story might be about. What time of day is portrayed on the cover? How does your child know?  

Look at a newspaper. Newspapers are not as common as they once were. Does your child know what a newspaper is? Get a newspaper to show your child and talk about the purpose of a newspaper. If you get your news another way, talk with your child about that.    

Oral Language

Discuss the illustrations. The story has beautiful illustrations and limited text. Ask your child questions about the story and illustrations. For example, the author says that it’s hard for the boy and his dog to get out of bed in the morning, but they do. Ask your child why he gets up even though it is hard. Talk about why the paperboy left so early in the morning to deliver the papers (this was before people had continuous access to the Internet and cable news!). The paperboy leaves his house when it is still dark. When does he return? Ask your child to look at the pictures to figure it out.  

Letter Knowledge

Find all the letter P’s. Ask your child what letter "Paperboy" starts with. Then give your child a pointer or a small magnifying glass to find all the letter P’s in the story. Point out the difference between an uppercase and a lowercase P. How many P’s are there on each page?  

After the story, consider taking a few minutes to complete the Reading BrightStart! Preschool Reading Screener. Just a few yes-or-no questions can help measure your 4-year-old's progress on the path to reading readiness. Or, explore easy at-home reading activities for 4-year-olds.