When children act out a good poem, they love its rhyme, rhythm, and the pictures it paints with a few well-chosen words. They grow as readers by connecting emotion with the written word.
What you’ll need:
Poems that rhyme, tell a story, and are written from a child’s point of view
What to do:
1. Read a [...]
Repetition makes books predictable, and young readers love knowing what comes next.
What you’ll need:
Books with repeated phrases. A few favorites are: Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible. No Good , Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst; Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin, Jr.; Horton Hatches the Egg by Dr. [...]
Babies love to listen to the human voice. What better way than through reading!
What you’ll need:
Some baby books (books made of cardboard or cloth with flaps to lift and holes to peek through)
What to do:
1. Start out by singing lullabies and folk songs to your baby. At around 6 months, look for books [...]
When a newborn baby comes out of the womb, doctors encourage mothers to breastfeed the infant. This is because the milk that comes out has nutrients in the right concentrations. It also has antibodies, which becomes the first line of defense against harmful bacteria and viruses.
Studies show that a mother can continue to breastfeed the [...]
The main thing is to find books you both love. They will shape your child’s first impression of the world of reading.
What to do?
1. Ask friends, neighbors, and teachers to share the names of their favorite books.
2. Visit your local public library, and as early as possible, get your child a library card. Ask [...]
Children become readers when their parents read to them. It really is as simple as that. And here’s the good news: It’s easy to do and it’s great fun. With a little practice you will be making the memories of a lifetime, memories both you and your child will cherish.
It is best to read [...]
You may go through a period when your child favors one book and wants it read night after night and read it one more time. It is not unusual for children to favor a particular story, and this can be boring for parents. Keep in mind, however, that a favorite story may speak to your [...]
Although the life of a parent is often hectic, you should try to read with your child at least once a day at a regularly scheduled time. But don’t be discouraged if you skip a day or don’t always keep to your schedule. Just read to your child as often as you possibly can.
If you [...]
It is important to keep fun in your parent-child reading and to let joy set the tone and pace.
Here is a story to keep in mind.
Shamu is a performing whale, to the delight of many. However, she sometimes gets distracted and refuses to do her tricks. When that happens, her trainers stand around in [...]
It’s no secret that activities at home are an important supplement to the classroom, but there’s more to it than that. There are things that parents can give children at home that the classrooms cannot give.
Children who are read to grow to love books. Over the years, these children will have good memories to treasure. [...]
