Read Together
A children’s story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children’s story in the slightest.
C.S. Lewis
Reading together helps to build a child’s language skills.(Seidenberg, 2017)
Speaking and listening is an important part of learning to read. (Hart & Risley, 1995)
“In the light of the moon a little egg lay on a leaf.” -Eric Carle (1981)
When we read books to children we are exposing them to a language they would normally not hear us speaking during casual conversation.
Some Tips:
Begin reading very short stories as your child will tolerate. Some children are just too busy for a long story! Build your child’s stamina for reading. (Wolf, 2018)
Make story time a pleasant bonding experience. Laps are made for reading! (Laminack, 2009)
Choose books that contain subjects that your child is interested in such as cars, babies, food, animals or toys.
Embrace rereading your child’s favorites! While this can feel tedious, repetition and routine are valuable to the brain! (Kilpatrick, 2015)
One more note about reading aloud…
It is important to include traditional, printed books in your child’s reading experience. (Jabr, 2013)
Reading a traditional book is not the same as reading a digital book. While each method has its ups and downs, the exposure to printed text will familiarize your child with the concepts of print needed for later reading success, such as directionality, parts of the book, turning pages, and more!
A resource for nurturing a love of reading
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