Learning To Read

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Ready, Set, Read: Specific activities to make your child a reader!

Providing positive, enjoyable literacy experiences give young children opportunities to gain the knowledge, awareness, skills, and love of learning that they need to later learn to read independently. Here are 8 ways you can provide those experiences:

Choose The Right Books 

Choose books that have large colorful pictures or photos; a few words on a page; rich language; and relate to concepts, people, or things in children's lives. With this exposure, young children learn that books and reading explain the world they live in and ultimately help them better understand themselves. Sound like a tall order for a toddler?

Not really when you consider perennial favorites such as The Hungry Caterpillar. This book does not contain many words but teaches counting and science concepts.

Read Out Loud 

Read to children regularly and often. Pick a regular reading time, but also watch for opportunities to read books, signs, letters, or other print spontaneously. The experience of reading as a typical, everyday occurrence helps children gain confidence that they can learn to read themselves.

Stories influence children's learning for life. Some research suggests that the more stories children hear before entering school, the more likely they will be successful academically. Listening to books benefits their vocabulary and comprehension.

Spending just 15 minutes a day on this worthwhile activity can reap tremendous benefits!

Make Reading Fun 

Use a variety of expressions, tones, and voices to make a book even more fun.

Allow a child to listen at her own pace. If a baby fusses or a toddler wanders away, don't worry. Set the book aside and try again later. A baby may only listen for a minute or two at a time. Toddlers may want to wander around while you read, or listen to a few pages, move on to something else, and then return for a few more pages.

Encourage a child to join in on repeating phrases or rhymes, and honor requests to read the same book over and over.

Tools for teaching reading 

Hooked on Phonics: Learn to Read First Grade System

Amazon Price: (as of 12/31/2009) Buy Now

The Reading Lesson: Teach Your Child to Read in 20 Easy Lessons

Amazon Price: $18.45 (as of 12/31/2009) Buy Now

Hooked on Phonics: Learn to Read Kindergarten System

Amazon Price: (as of 12/31/2009) Buy Now

Scat, Cats! (Easy-to-Read, Puffin)

Amazon Price: $3.99 (as of 12/31/2009) Buy Now

Make Books Available 

Make books available to babies and toddlers every day. Babies don't distinguish books from other toys and may pull, toss, or chew books. This tactile, physical exploration of books and how they work is important to literacy development.

Show how books work. Point out the cover, show which is the top and bottom, front and back of the book, and talk about how words are read from left to right on the page. Use your finger to point to a word and the corresponding picture on the page.

Talk To Your Child 

Remember literacy is about more than reading the printed word, it is about communication and understanding.

According to the National Research Council in Starting Out Right: A Guide to Promoting Reading Success, "Talk is essential - the more meaningful and substantive the better." Babies and toddlers learn about the sounds, meanings, and ideas in language when adults talk with them. Preschoolers expand their vocabulary and learn sentence structure.

Conversations with your children about what they are reading are critical to children's learning. Discussing books helps them understand how stories work, and how language works. When reading, stop and talk about the pictures and words on the page.

Listen To Your Child 

As much as babies, toddlers, and preschoolers need to hear language, they also need to practice and imitate sounds and words with interested listeners. Respond to your child's conversation and repeat their words back to them. Ask questions to show you are listening and that encourage a child to talk. Listen carefully and acknowledge answers. Listen to children's questions and take time to answer.

Some Of Our Picks (And Yours) For Favorite Children's Books 

Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown

Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown

In a great green room, tucked away in bed, is a li more...0 points

The Very Hungry Caterpillar board book by Eric Carle

The Very Hungry Caterpillar board book by Eric Carle

As a tiny green caterpillar eats his way through t more...0 points

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr.

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr.

Children will immediately respond to Eric Carle's more...0 points

The Going-To-Bed Book by Sandra Boynton

The Going-To-Bed Book by Sandra Boynton

This whimsical and hilarious book, featuring nontr more...0 points

Boynton's Greatest Hits: Volume II (The Going to Bed Book, Horns to Toes, Opposites, But Not the Hippopotamus)

Boynton's Greatest Hits: Volume II (The Going to Bed Book, Horns to Toes, Opposites, But Not the Hippopotamus)

The thinking's not fuzzy in these board books, but more...0 points

Corduroy

Corduroy

Don Freeman's classic character, Corduroy, is even more...0 points

Boynton's Greatest Hits: Volume 1 (Boynton, Sandra. Boynton Board Books.)

Boynton's Greatest Hits: Volume 1 (Boynton, Sandra. Boynton Board Books.)

Artist Sandra Boynton has been charming adults for more...0 points

There's a Wocket in My Pocket! Dr. Seuss's Book of Ridiculous Rhymes (Bright and Early Board Books) by Dr.; Geisel, Theodor Seuss Seuss

There's a Wocket in My Pocket! Dr. Seuss's Book of Ridiculous Rhymes (Bright and Early Board Books) by Dr.; Geisel, Theodor Seuss Seuss

There's a Wocket in My Pocket is filled with bizar more...0 points

Moo Baa La La La

Moo Baa La La La

Serious silliness for all ages. Artist Sandra Boyn more...0 points

Barnyard Dance! (Boynton on Board) by Sandra Boynton

Barnyard Dance! (Boynton on Board) by Sandra Boynton

Everybody sing along-because it's time to do-si-do more...0 points

Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You : Dr. Seuss's Book of Wonderful Noises (Bright and Early Board Books) by Dr. Seuss

Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You : Dr. Seuss's Book of Wonderful Noises (Bright and Early Board Books) by Dr. Seuss

Hears an introduction for babies to the wonderful more...0 points

Sing With Your Child 

Children love to sing and can learn a great deal about stories and language from many popular children's songs. Songs also often teach through their content (alphabet, counting, etc.) Many nursery rhymes can also be learned through song and knowledge of nursery rhymes is an important part of overall literacy.

Pull out old favorites like "This Old Man" or "Where is Thumbkin?" and make up your own songs, too.

Let Your Child Write 

When children write, they naturally begin to pay attention to the sounds words make and the letters that form words. And it doesn't matter how they spell! Recent research shows that young children who are allowed to write often with invented spelling, develop the ability to become good readers.

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