Have fun reading!

Learning to read is a slow process that begins early in life, so why not focus on making it a fun experience?

Beginning in infancy reading is crucial to a child's development. Reading to your kiddo daily helps to improve communication, build new vocabulary, teach them about the world, and create bonds. Reading out loud helps kiddos hear the sounds made for each word and connect words to images. As kiddos get older, reading books together solidifies their understanding of literacy concepts and continues to expand their knowledge and broaden their vocabulary.

Reading out loud is considered one of the best ways to prepare kiddos to learn to read.

Things to Remember:

Introduce books early. No baby is too young to be read to. While reading, pause to discuss the books you’re reading. Don’t think of it as a chore you need to get through quickly. Instead, make it an enjoyable conversation! Take things from the book and make connections for them.

A discussion can be started from simple questions. For example, “Do you see the girl in the book with his cat? We have a cat too! Does our cat look like this one? What’s our cat's name?” OR “They are at the library. Remember when we went to the library? Ours also has a kid's section. What is your favorite book we have read so far from the library?”

Children learn through repetition; this is why they can read the same book a ton of times. To keep things interesting, change the focus of your reading to notice the pictures, look for rhyming words, or add different voices for each character. Keep books in all rooms of your home. Take books with you to look at in the car or at the park.

Kids learn by example, model reading for them. It’s important for kiddos to see you reading for enjoyment. Books should be engaging while allowing for back-and-forth dialogue. The book itself is not the most important part of reading. It’s the adult who uses the book as a tool to extend learning, vocabulary, and understanding to show kiddos it can be exciting to read books. Books can be turned into a mini adventure.

Make it Fun:

Create extensions of stories or have your child create a craft on topic with the book you just read. For example, if you're reading the giving tree, you could suggest your child draw things they are grateful for. You can also act it out as you read! Read with expression and think of it as putting on a little performance for them. If you’re having fun, they will too!

Another idea is to make forts to read in for a change in scenery. Act out stories with props such as stuffed animals or toys. Prompt your child to repeat dialogue from the story, such as, “I’ll huff, and I’ll puff, and I’ll blow your house down” from The Three Little Pigs. Without using books retell familiar stories. This helps children form what they think the story looks like. Ask your kiddo to read to you using the pictures alone to tell the story. You can also take a trip to your local library. Many of them offer story telling activities for children. It is important to make reading part of your bedtime routine. When your kiddo is tucked in, sit, and read a book of their choosing.

No matter what type of book you’re reading, remember how beneficial the practice is. Reading with your kiddo is not about finishing the book and getting to the end of the story, it’s about the interactions and conversations that happen along the way—before reading, while reading, and after the last page.