Sharing books, reading , talking and playing with your baby, toddler or preschooler are important first steps in helping your child get ready to read.
By interacting with your child in a variety of ways, parents can give their children a jump start to the early literacy skills they need to to be ready to read. Make it a habit to find the time each day to settle down with a good book and show your child that reading can be FUN!
Reading. Talking. Singing. Playing. Writing.
Make the time you and your child spend together reading a fun and pleasurable experience. By reading aloud to your child you are helping them build important language and vocabulary skills. Take time out to ask your child questions about the story like “What do you think will happen next?”. Encourage your child to tell you what they think about the pictures found in storybooks. Read books that contain rhyming words or pop in a CD and sing songs! Not only will this help build vital vocabulary but will also work towards building the skills they need to to be a good reader in school.
Below are five areas that you can work with your child to help build early literacy skills and give them a head-start on their way to reading success!
Talking
Talking with children helps them learn oral language, one of the most critical early literacy skills. Spend some time each evening talking with your child, read them a book and ask questions, or take advantage of a car commute to talk and explore the skill of language.
Singing
Singing, which also includes rhyming, increases children’s awareness of and sensitivity to the sounds in words. This helps prepare children to decode print (written language).
Reading
Reading together, or shared reading, remains the single most effective way to help children become proficient readers.
Writing
Writing and reading go together. Writing helps children learn that letters and words stand for sounds and that print has meaning.
Playing
Play is one of the primary ways young children learn about the world. General knowledge is an important literacy skill that helps children understand books and stories once they begin to read.