Reading is learning. Research shows that a parent's involvement in their children's reading development is critical to raising life long readers. Whether a parent, guardian, grandparent, or an older sibling, you can help a child learn to love reading. Read together every day. Make it part of the daily routine. Choose a quiet spot for you and your child. Any time of day is fine, not just at bedtime. Aim for 15 to 20 minutes every day.
Read aloud to your child. The development of good reading skills begins at birth. The more words your child hears from infancy, the larger the vocabulary the child will develop. Listening skills lead the way to reading comprehension. Some experts suggest that reading aloud to and with children should extend into the middle school years.
Make books a part of the child's life. Have plenty of books in the home, keep books in all rooms of the house and store books at a reachable level for the child. Ask him to hold the book or turn the pages as you sit together. Get a library card as soon as she is old enough and spend time at the library "discovering," or consider regular visits to a bookstore to browse. Attend story-hour. Take books and writing supplies wherever you go.
Let the child choose books to read. Guide children's choices according to appropriate reading levels and subject matter. Parents who exert too much control over the content of their child's reading-matter, risk promoting the message that reading is a chore. Reading for pleasure is the ultimate goal.
Be a role model. Let your children see you reading. Make a point of reading a book or the newspaper while your children are in the room. As your child gets older, look for areas of common interest and read together, then discuss the topics together.
Reading interaction should begin at birth. It's never too early to introduce books to a child, as infants thrive on the face-to-face interaction reading provides. Every day read aloud, sing songs and say rhymes to introduce the baby to the sound of words. Surround your child with talk and pictures. Choose books with simple, bold, bright, colorful shapes and simple, single word text. Books with cloth, heavy cardboard or soft vinyl pages are great for very young children to look at by themselves.
Toddlers are beginning to use language to explain what they want, to ask questions and to express feelings. Choose nursery tales, songs and stories about familiar objects, animals or family life that have simple sentence structure. Encourage your child to point and "read" about what he or she sees in the book.
Preschoolers may recognize matching sounds and some printed letters and numbers. Play nonsense rhyming word games to stimulate their verbal development and provide plenty of paper, markers, and pencils for their creative development. Choose books with fun and simple plots and those with simple concepts of numbers, shapes and colors. Preschoolers love books with clear, colorful illustrations or photos of animals or young children as the main characters.
Kindergarteners and early childhood aged children have learned the basic concepts of reading and they understand that print goes from left to right and carries a message. They are intrigued by simple, recognizable words on signs, food packages and other everyday items. They have memorized their favorite books and will fill in words their parents may skip. Books that engage the child are excellent for this age group. Those that encourage your child to ask questions and explore their own world and thoughts are recommended.
Debbie Wilburn is County Agent/Family and Consumer Science Agent with the Hall (770)535-8290 and the Forsyth (770)887-2418 County Extension Service.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2004/7/156340