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Ready to Read
Sparking Your Child's Interest in Books
By Melissa Granberry
or sitting down for dinner with the family. Just being with loved ones teaches them social skills, language concepts and self-esteem, which will overflow into all areas of their life – including reading!
"Have appropriate expectations," says Marianne Davis, director of Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh's literacy program called Healthy Stories. "For very young children, keep reading sessions short. It's all right if your child does not want to sit still for the entire book. Let him see that you are enjoying the book, and eventually he will come back."
As your children get older, incorporate reading into things that interest them. If you have a storyteller on your hands, write down what she is saying, then read it back to her. "Writing down their stories is an advanced way to show them that oral language can be expressed in written words," says Goldberg.
If your child is more interested in being social, include a 10-minute "story time" during playgroup or when a friend is visiting. Try to find books with rhyming words or a repeated chorus so the children will be more apt to join in. Check with your local library or bookstore for age-appropriate story times.
Make sure your kids see that reading is part of everyone's daily routine. "Simple, everyday tasks can represent rich opportunities to build reading skills," says Lesley Mandel Morrow, a professor of education at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey. She offers these examples:
- Cook Together – Have your child look for words in the recipe that begin with the same letter as your child's name.
- Share Shopping –Together, make a grocery list. While in the store, have your child help you find familiar items, such as "milk" or "eggs."
- Go for a Walk – Write and draw pictures about what you saw outside, such as: leaf, dog, cloud, bug.