Parents – Raising a Reader

19 Jul 2009 6 Comments

by suesbooks in education, children, infant, toddler,, Literacy Tags: books, childrens books, education, infant, literacy, read, reader, toddler

Raising a Reader

When is that magic moment when all of a sudden your child is ready to enjoy books?  Well, of course, there is no magic moment, children should be introduced to books at the earliest possible moment.  We want our infants to experience the pleasure and comfort of snuggling with a parent and a book.  Surrounded by the warmth of their voice, exploring, seeing, touching, learning in the safety of their arms.

Tips to Get Your Child Off to a Good Reading Start…

1. Read to Your Baby – It’s never too early to introduce your child to books.  “Read” board books (including these  titles and much more:

Baby’s Very First Little Book of Bunnies

Baby’s Very First 123 Book

Baby’s Very First Bath Book

Baby’s Very First Bedtime Book

Baby’s Very First Book of Little Babies

Baby’s Very First Getting Dressed

Baby’s Very First Little Book of Kittens

Baby’s Very First Little Book of Little Puppies

Baby’s Very First Mealtime Book

Baby’s Very First Noisy Book

Baby’s Very First Noisy Christmas

Baby’s Very First Touchy- Feely

Baby’s Very First Touchy-Feely Animals Book

Baby’s Very First Touchy-Feely Christmas Book

to your infant, put stroller books (examples:

Beep Beep

Brrm Brrmm

Choo Choo

Farm Stroller Book

Rainy Day Stroller Book

Seaside Stroller Book

Tweet Tweet

on the stroller, and float plastic books such as Flip, Flap, Flop and Quack, Quack, Quack in the tub.  Your kids will grow up with the idea that books are an integral part of their lives.

2.     Make Time For Books – Set aside a specific time to read to your child everyday.  Naptime and bedtime are obvious opportunities, but some busy families find that a story over breakfast or while lounging in the tub works best for them.

3.     Keep Books Available – Make it easy to read.  Keep a sack of books in the car to divert kids while you’re running errands and on the nightstand to amuse early risers.  Pack a variety of books when traveling.

4.     Be a Reading Role Model – Show your kids that you value reading.  Let them see that you are reading for pleasure, and tell them how much you enjoy reading with them.  Take them along on trips to the library and bookstore.

5.    Make Your Own Books – Preschoolers can dictate their own stories and then add illustrations.  Other ideas?  Make a holiday book that shows your family traditions, a birthday book recording party memories, or a travel diary about the family vacation.

6.    Read Anything and Everything – On the road, encourage your child to read the Stop, Yield, and Walk signs.  In the grocery store, ask the kids to find the juice or cereal they want.  Learning to differentiate among packages and to recognize common road signs is a great beginning step in learning to read.

7.     Play with Letters – Magnetic letters allow children to spell their name on the refrigerator.  Letter blocks combine stacking and spelling for double the fun.

8.     Read it Again and Again – Parents may get tired of reading the same favorite book over and over, but repetition is an important developmental step in learning to read.  As they repeat the familiar refrains with you, children begin to associate the words they say with the words on the page.  Soon they will be recognizing and reading the words on their own.

*The above information is excerpts from a Guide For Grown-Ups by Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse Magazine.

Creating a Child’s Very Own Reading Oasis A Parent’s Guide to Selecting Books for an At-Home Library

One of the most important things you can do for your child is build a love of reading.  By surrounding your child with books, you are planting a love of reading in them and teaching them to return to books for pleasure and knowledge.  We want our kids to grow up with the idea that books are an integral part of their lives.  With millions of books at a parent’s fingertips, how’s a parent to choose the right “investments” for their child’s library?  Below is a list of questions and suggestions to help you choose just the right books for your child.

Choosing Books

*     Look for books based on your child’s interest.  What are your child’s favorite things or activities?  What does he/she talk about?

*     Choose books that relate to what’s happening in your family.  Are you going to the beach this summer?  Visiting the mountains?  Visiting grandma?

*     Use books to learn about and “celebrate” special events.  Is it the first day of school?  Are you having a new baby?  Or celebrating a special holiday- Birthday, Easter, Passover, Christmas, Hanukkah, New Year’s Day or Fourth of July?

*     Is the book appropriate to your child’s physical development?  Can he/she easily handle it, touch it, and mouth it?  Are the pictures bright and attractive?  Can he/she relate the “stories” to his/her own life?”

*     Look for books that initiate independent reading.  Wordless picture books, where the child can “read” the pictures and follow the story.  Also, simple stories, with engaging characters that they can memorize and then later “read” on their own.

*If your child is reading:  Can they easily read the book by themselves?  Is the book one that a sibling can read to a younger child?  Look for series of books.  Children  love to read about favorite characters in new and exciting situations.

Every child’s development time line is unique.  As children grow, so do their attention spans and their bedtime reading ritual and reading habits need to grow with them.  While you can’t push a child to learn to read, you can help your children love what comes out of books and provide lots of opportunities for them to explore them.

*Taken from an article by the National Center for Family Literacy

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“There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate’s loot on Treasure Island…and best of all, you can enjoy these riches every day of your life.” ~~Walt Disney

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