Being able to read is fundamental to sucess in today’s society and acquiring early reading skills should, above all, be fun for your child. It’s one thing to be able to teach a child to read, but it’s quite another to teach a child to love reading. Early reading therefore doesn’t just involve teaching your child to recognise letters, sound out words and put them into sentences, but must also be concerned with fostering a love of books, words and the written language. Here are some ways to nurture such a love:
Be selective – For very early reading choose books with large, clear, bright and cheerful illustrations and short, simple text. Many toddlers prefer rhyming books as they love the rhythms in poetry, but now is also a good time to start introducing some very simple stories in prose.
Be persistent – Many toddlers do nothing but wriggle the first time they’re read to, but persistence is usually rewarded. Introduce a regular story time, bedtime is the traditional favorite, but if you have time in the morning a cuddly reading session in bed can be nice too.
Be creative – You know what interests and attracts your child better than the book’s author. So don’t feel you have to read the words exactly as they’re written. Allowing your imagination to improvise along the way can greatly increase your child’s enjoyment of the story and help encourage early reading.
Be interactive – Long before your child is able to read, they can join in the reading process. Ask them to point out the various characters in the illustrations as you go along, or later get them to fill in some blanks in sentences or rhymes in books they’re familiar with. As they get older try asking them questions like, “What do you think will happen next?” Participation is part of the fun experience that early reading should be – your child loves to have your attention and will actively look forward to these sessions together.
Be expressive – Remember – early reading should be fun – and nobody likes to listen to a boring monotone. A toddler who is still developing language skills will find an expressive reading style not only more enjoyable, but also easier to understand.
Be repetitive – Toddlers love to hear the same story over and over. It can drive you to distraction (believe me I know!!) but it’s incredibly satisfying to their young ears – and will encourage those early reading skills too.
Keep it short – Your toddler hasn’t developed a long attention span yet, so keep those early reading sessions brief. Go from page to page quickly to keep them from getting fidgety, and be ready to end story time after just a few minutes if they’re really not in the mood.
Be cuddly – Children who associate reading with the comfort of curling up on a much-loved parent’s lap almost always enjoy reading books later on.
Set a good example – If your toddler sees you reading, even occasionally, they’re likely to think it’s a good, grown-up pastime and will probably begin to initiate their early reading sessions themselves.
Finally, cut down on the amount of TV that’s watched by your toddler and the rest of the family. Research has shown that families who watch less read more.
Check out Scruffy’s” target=”_blank”>www.scruffysbookshop.com”>Scruffy’s Bookshop, to download some great illustrated books for both pre-schoolers and older children. Because you print them at home they’re instantly available, and if they get damaged – just print another copy!
About the Author:
Ellie Dixon lives in deepest rural Devon, England with her husband and two very large Newfoundland dogs. She is passionate about vintage illustrated children’s books and loves to restore and edit them for today’s kids to rediscover. Visit her website, Scruffy’s” target=”_blank”>www.scruffysbookshop.com”>Scruffy’s Bookshop, which offers wonderful illustrated books for both toddlers and older children, and while you’re there sign” target=”_blank”>www.scruffysbookshop.com/welcome.html”>sign up for her free monthly newsletter.
Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Early Reading – Can be Lots of Fun!
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