**This is a sponsored post from the Charlotte Speech and Hearing Center**
This is the second is a series of entries that discuss the many reasons that it’s important to read with your children and some ways to make the experience more effective, and enjoyable, for everyone! See the previous entry for information about reading with your infant or toddler. There are so many ways you can encourage literacy in your preschooler that we will look at it across a few entries. Today, we’ll look at reading. Keep an eye out for future entries regarding writing and playing with sounds.
Just like reading with infants and toddlers, the focus of reading with your preschoolers is not to get them to read words. Preschoolers should learn to love books and understand that words written on paper are full of meaning. This way, enthusiasm for reading and writing can continue to build.
The skills your preschooler learns when you read may include: you read words and books from left to right, words on the page mean words that you say, stories have a beginning, middle and end, and that the front of a book can tell you what it’s about. All of these skills are called “Concepts of Print” and they are helpful for later reading skills. Here are some quick tips about reading with your preschooler:
- Show what you read. Follow the text you read using your finger. Even if your child can’t read the words, they will learn about the process of reading and Concepts of Print. Don’t forget to read the cover!
- Read everything! Reading stories, poems, magazines, descriptions on toy packages, cartoons, labels on food, street signs, and anything else with words will show your preschooler that reading is interesting and useful in everything they’ll ever do! It’s hard to find magazines geared toward children, but the National Wildlife Federation distributes three great options for kids of all ages. For your preschooler, check out Animal Baby or Big Backyard.
- Read it again and again…and again. Reading books that say the same words over and over, or reading favorite books many times, will allow your children to “read” with you. This continues to reinforce that words in a book are meaningful.
- Make it relate. Connecting books to your child’s life will help them to realize that books unlock information about the world. When reading, you can say things like “Curious George made a mess like your baby brother did!” While having snack you could say, “You’re eating one apple just like the Hungry Caterpillar!”
- Visit the library! Checking out books, watching others read, or listening to story time with the librarian all show children that you’re not the only one who loves to read!
- Teach them their names. Recognizing their names in print is one of the first reading skills children can learn. Once your child learns to recognize his or her name, then they can begin to discover the separate letters and sounds in it.
Written by: Liza Stahnke, M.S. CF-SLP
To learn more about Charlotte Speech & Hearing Center, visit our website: www.charlottespeechhearing.com
Leave a Reply