Why Read to Children?
Reading out loud is the most important thing you can do to prepare children to read. Building pre-literacy skills in young children helps them achieve greater success in school. Throughout the day, read what you see around you: signs, labels, recipes, or words from a text message.
Tips to Raise a Reader
What is developmental screening?
Developmental screening can help you determine if your child is developing on track for his or her age. It’s a way to check if there are any problems in how your child learns, plays, speaks, or acts.
Parents who have used a developmental screening tool with their children say it helped them learn more about child development. It’s great hands-on parenting!
Ask your child’s doctor, child-care provider, early childhood teacher, or home visitor about doing a developmental screening. There are tools that have been developed just for parents to use with their children.
Find one for your child’s age at:
https://www.cdc.gov/act-early/milestones/
Read, Read, Read
What preschoolers know before kindergarten is strongly related to how easily they learn to read. A child is ready to read when they are able to recognize and name letters of the alphabet, are aware of sounds in words, can rhyme, and know how to hold a book and turn the pages.
Make It Fun!
Preschoolers can tell stories, have a conversation, and scribble their name. Research suggests some children may not have the early learning experiences they need to become successful readers. Many activities can support early reading and writing skills.
Of all these activities, reading out loud is the most important. This can be as easy as five minutes at a time. Little snippets of reading turn into 20 minutes before you know it. Use activities and play that are of interest to the child. Are they into toy cars? If so, how about reading the car ads together? Don’t worry if your young child becomes distracted when you’re reading or if you don’t get through a whole book. Follow the child’s lead—encourage, and stop when the child’s attention shifts.
Experiment with different types of reading materials to see what is of interest. The process of learning to read involves many different complex skills. Preschoolers learn best when they are doing something that is important and fun to them.
Transitions and Security Blankets
Storytelling
Saving for Education
Math Readiness
