In the two previous
columns I explained the importance of preparing infants,
babies and preschoolers to be good readers later in life.
Here is a list of tips every parent can use to provide the
right conditions for young readers to blossom as they grow
up. The nice thing about the suggestions on this list is
that you don't have to have a degree in reading or child
development to follow them. You just have to want your child
to read.
Let your child see how important reading is by doing
it yourself. Have plenty of reading material around.
Read to your child every day. This is one of the most
important pre-literacy activities we can do with our children.
Make library visits a regular routine. Don't wait for
your child to go to school before introducing her to your
local library. Many have story hours and other services
for preschool children. Some might even have a "lap
sit" story time for the tiny ones. "Lap sits"
usually last about twenty minutes and involve both the
child and adult in a story as well as songs, finger-plays
and other fun activities.
Books on tape can help pass the time on long road trips.
Libraries often have a good selection.
Make reading a family pleasure. Set aside time as a
family to read for fun. Make a bedtime story part of your
day-end ritual.
Give books as gifts. Suggest that grandparents and other
relatives do the same.
Arrange your home to encourage reading. Make sure you
have comfortable places to cuddle together with a book,
good lighting, and bookshelves your child can reach or
baskets of books she can dig into.
Help your child become an author. Make a book by inviting
your child to tell a story about anything he wants while
you write it down. Let him illustrate the story by drawing,
pasting in photographs, or cutting out pictures from magazines.
Select other media products that promote reading. Choose
entertaining computer programs that incorporate reading
skills and problem solving. Look for video rentals that
include a book component.
As children get older, read longer chapter books and
poetry to your children. Reading longer books chapter
by chapter helps develop a child's listening comprehension
skills. Your child actually builds her imagination while
forming pictures in her mind for the developing story.
Reading is essential to learning and a source of lifetime
enjoyment as well. And although there is a great deal of
emphasis on teaching reading in schools, the basic building
blocks are put in place long before our children ever enter
the classroom. Do your children a favor: use some of these
tips to prepare them for a lifetime of learning and fun
through reading.
