Wednesday 23 September 2020

Helping your child to become a reader

 "As parents, the most important thing we can do is read to our children early and often. Reading is the path to success in school and life. When children learn to love books, they learn to love reading." - Laura Bush

You could say that your baby starts on the road to becoming a reader on the day they are born and first hears the sound of your voice. Everytime you speak to them, sing to them , and respond to the sounds they make, you strengthen your child's understanding of language. With you to guide them, they are well on their way to becoming a reader.

To understand the connection between a child's early experiences with spoken language and learning to read, you might think of language as a four -legged stool. The four legs are talking, listening , reading and
writing. All four legs are importan; each leg helps to support and balance the others. Remember you dont need to be the best reader to help - your time and interest and the pleasure that you share with your child as part of reading together are what counts. Also keep in mind , however , that children don't all learn at the same pace. And even though they learn new things, they may have their own favourite books and activities from earlier that they still enjoy. You are the best person to decide which activities will work best for your child.

Children become readers step by step. By age 7, most children are reading. Again , some take longer than others , and some need extra help. when children receive the right kind of help in their early years, reading difficulties that can arise later in their lives can be prevented. Remember , every step a child takes toward learning to read leads to another. Bit by bit, the child buids the knowldge that is necessary for being a reader. 

Step 1. Talk and listen

Scientist who study the brain hae found out a great deal about how we learn. They have discovered that babies learn much more from the sights and sounds around them than we thought previously. You can as a parent, help your baby by taking advantage of her hunger to learn. 

From the very beginning, babies try to imitate the sounds that they hear us make. They , "read" the looks on our faces and our movements. That is why it is so important to talk , sing, smile,

and geture to your child. Hearing you talk is your baby's very first step towards becomeing a reader, be

cause it helps them to love language and learn words.


As your child grows older, continue talking to them. Ask them about the things they do. Ask them about events and people in the stories you read together. Let them know that you are listening carefully to what they say. By engaging them in talking and listening , you are also encouraging your child to think as they speak. In addition , you are showing that you respect her knowledge and her ability to keep learning . 

The librarian @inspire community library


1 comment:

  1. Multi-purpose entry - encouraging both parents and children. Well done!

    ReplyDelete