By Nancy Olsen-Harbich, MA
Children who read succeed and reading readiness begins in the preschool years. Beginning literacy means helping young children enjoy books and use language expressively, not urging them to memorize the alphabet or recognize words. When young children derive pleasure from reading and storytelling and are immersed in language activities, they will look forward to reading instruction once they start school.
Here are some tips to help you nurture a budding reader:
- Be a good role model. Let your child see you read for information and enjoyment. Show by your own example how reading a good book can be a positive alternative to watching TV.
- Read with your child every day. Many parents like to read at bedtime, when reading books can help quiet and sooth children, but reading together can happen at any convenient time during the day.
- Make reading a pleasurable experience by cuddling or snuggling, allowing enough time to read at deliberate pace, and choosing books you both enjoy.
- Encourage children to participate by saying their favorite lines, repeating refrains, talking about the story as it unfolds and guessing how the story will end or making up new endings.
- Visit your public library often. In addition to books, libraries offer a variety of language-based activities like storytelling, singing songs and puppet shows. From an early age, children can learn that the library is a fun place.
- Choose books that appeal to preschoolers who tend to like stories about children their own age, with playful animals, familiar objects and simple plots. Look for librarian recommendations, award-winning books or children’s classics.
- Avoid books based on TV or movie characters that are more likely to reinforce television viewing than reading. If your child has already seen the movie, plays with the action figures and sleeps on the character sheets, they have already had enough exposure to the commercial tie-ins.
- Talk and sing together. Listen with genuine interest when your child tells a story. Encourage your child to talk about his play or art activities. These language activities help build vocabulary and skill in using words to communicate ideas.
- Read signs, directions and other printed words in everyday life. This will remind your child that reading is an important part of life – fun, but also very useful.
- Read on the go. Bring books for the car or when you and your child might have to wait on long lines. Children’s books on tape and sing along cassettes are also fun in the car.
Reading with your child is fun and enjoyable, and it builds a solid foundation for reading readiness and school success.
Nancy Olsen-Harbich is Program Director and a Human Development Specialist with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County’s Family Health and Wellness Program. She can be reached at 631-727-7850 ext. 332 or at no18@cornell.edu