Early Literacy, Early Readers.

 Early Literacy, Early Readers.


Article submitted by Kathleen Thomas on behalf of  Primrose Educational Preschools

Read To Your Child To Instill A Love Of Reading And Love Of Learning
One of the greatest predictors for school success is reading to your child every day. Reading to your child gives him the powerful tools he needs to learn to learn and, later, read to learn. Even infants will benefit from reading time with a parent or guardian.

According to Dr. Robert Needlman, famed pediatrician and author of Dr. Spock's Baby Basics, reading to your child from an early age is one of the most important ways to raise a child who loves to read. He suggests making the time to read to your child daily and use this time to connect with your child and have fun. When your child associates reading with fun, he will begin a lifetime love of reading and learning.

When you read to your child, engage him in the story. Point to the pictures and ask questions such as what is this? Why do you think that happened? What do you think will happen? Ask open-ended questions to encourage your child to draw his own conclusion and think about why he thinks things will happen.

Reading any book is better than not reading, but selecting the right books will make the time funner for both of you. Select age-appropriate books for your child. Younger children like simple and large pictures and books with rhyming words. Choose books that you enjoy yourself because you will be more likely to read the book, and you'll read it in a more animated manner. It's important that your child sees you enjoying books and has fun during reading time. Toddlers and preschoolers love repetition, so be ready to read the same book over and over again for days or weeks at a time. Be sure to choose books that you enjoy so you will want to read the same book many times.

Try some simple tips to help create an environment rich in literacy and learning:

• Offer your child a variety of books on different subjects.
• Choose books that are age-appropriate for your child.
• Make sure books are always available at home, in the car and in the diaper bag.
• Read to your child daily starting when he is an infant.
• Try to read at home the same books your child reads at school.
• Let preschoolers "read" to you, even if he is making up the story and it is different than what is printed. Let him use the pictures and his memory to tell a story to you. When he does this, it means he understands that words and books are used to communicate thoughts and ideas.

Children are born wanting to learn how to speak their native language, and parents help them learn every day by talking to their children. Reading is yet another way to teach language skills and help children learn that words are another way to communicate with the world. Read to your child daily to help him learn valuable language skills, improve cognitive development and create a lifetime love of learning.

Disclosure: This post was written by Kathleen Thomas. This is a compensated post.