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Home › Articles › Development › Let's Start Reading!

Let's Start Reading!

It's Never Too Early to Introduce Reading to Your Child

By Susan Younan Attiyah

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When a child begins reading – and being read to – at an early age, an interest in reading becomes routine in their lives. Reading at approximately the same time every day is helpful. For example, if you make "family reading time" after dinner every day, your child will adapt to that routine and soon will be bringing you a book for story time after dinner. If you have difficulty reading to your children, tell them stories. Hearing about their grandparents or family history experiences will be interesting and rewarding to them.

Be Creative
What reading does to a child's imagination and creativity alone is worth reading to them in the early stages of their lives. Children will often pretend and act out their favorite stories, which can be a great opportunity for Mom and Dad to get involved as well. Give everyone who is participating a character of the book, as if you are doing a play. Mother Goose books are fun and interactive to act out. This can give your child a clear picture of the story.

"Both my husband and I give characters special voices," says mother of two, Yvette De Luca, of Phoenix, Ariz. "I also have the girls act out stories they don't quite understand. It helps with comprehension."

Self-esteem
"Beginning to read at an early age helps build your child's self-esteem and increase their vocabulary," says Battiston.

With a good foundation in language from the beginning, reading becomes much easier. Children learn to form their sentences clearer than without books in their everyday lives. They feel more positive about themselves and it prepares them to read to a bigger audience. This is all very helpful in their readiness to begin kindergarten.


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