Reading To and With Your Children
All of us probably know that it is important to read to our children and we may also have heard that starting earlier is better. But maybe we feel a little silly reading aloud to an infant? Or we cannot figure out how to keep a 6-month-old from eating the corners of the book or how to get our toddler to sit still and listen? I'm sure all of us have been in one or both situations.
Although it seems babies are too young to enjoy being read to, researchers and experts say they are learning something new at every stage. Reading together when babies are as young as 4 months old increases the chances that parents continue reading to babies as they get older. Beginning early is important because the roots of language are developing in a baby's brain even before the baby can talk! The more words your baby hears over time, the more words your baby learns.
Though your baby may seem too little to understand, he or she enjoys your company and the sounds of your voice and words. Babies will recognize the book-sharing routine and will also want to explore books through their senses by grabbing and chewing on the book. They may not pay attention to the whole story, so take a break when they get bored. Board books with colorful illustrations are perfect to begin with.
Once a toddler, your baby may start having a favorite story request all the time. I can recite Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown by heart! I cannot count the number of times I have read Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell. Though sometimes we feel like covering our ears when we must read a particular book one more time, rereading books is actually a very good thing. Rereading familiar simple books gives your children practice at decoding words quickly, strengthening their reading comprehension. While reading aloud, ask simple questions about the pictures, label objects with simple sounds or words, and give your child the "job" of turning pages–such interactions help to build your toddler's thinking and language skills.
Keep these tips in mind as your child learns to read:
- Set aside time every day to read together. Many children like to have stories read to them at bedtime. This is a great way to wind down after a busy day and get ready for sleep.
- Run your finger under the words as you read to show your child that the print carries the story.
- Use funny voices and animal noises. This will help your child get excited about the story.
- Leave books in your child's room for your child to enjoy independently.
- Read books that your child enjoys. After a while, your child may learn the words to a favorite book.
- Take your child to the library regularly to help develop literacy. To encourage an early love of reading, let your child choose books to take home.
- To encourage phonological awareness, point to a letter in a book or on a sign and ask your child to tell you what sound it makes. Make a game out of recognizing letters, numbers, shapes, colors, and words.
- Young children can have short attention spans that make long reading sessions difficult. Instead, try planning short daily reading activities together.
So, the next time your little one asks to read Pete the Cat by Eric Litwin three times in a row or your independent reader wants to read Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey for the sixth time this month, embrace it and enjoy the reading ride.
Watch for our next blog post on getting your kindergartners to learn reading. And get ready by ordering your child's favorites from our Willow Grove PTO Virtual Book Fair. Start looking through the catalog–our ONLINE sales will be Nov. 9–22!!!!