When you help your kids to love reading, you provide a gift that will enrich their personal and professional lives for years to come. Even though teachers play an important role, parents are a child’s first teacher. To nurture the love of books, parents should begin reading to their children as soon as possible. I personally started reading to my girls when they were still in the womb!
Here are a few tips to help build literacy skills in your child at every stage of development.
How to Help Younger Children Love Reading
- Start by reading to your baby. It’s never too soon to get started. Read to your baby for a few minutes at a time until their attention span grows. Point to the pictures. Use rhymes and songs to teach language skills. This always helped to keep my girls engaged when they were babies!
- Continue reading books aloud as your child grows older. Reading to your child is one of the most valuable ways to spend your time together. Make story time a regular routine before bed or anytime that works with your daily schedule. This has always been a bedtime routine for my girls and they still love it!
- Make reading fun and interactive. Train yourself to read in an animated fashion. Encourage your child to read some passages aloud to you or to their brothers and sisters. My oldest has always loved reading to her sister, and now she enjoys helping my youngest read beginner books just as much. Start asking questions about what you read together or make up your own variations of the story.
- Meet with your child’s teacher for feedback. Develop regular communications with your child’s teacher. Be open to feedback provided. Teachers may spot any areas of weakness in reading skills that you can work to correct before they become serious issues. They can also help recommend books that your child might enjoy.