Every step a child takes toward learning to read leads to
another. Bit by bit, the child builds the knowledge that is
necessary for being a reader. Over their first 6 years, most
children
Talk and listen.
Listen to stories read aloud.
Pretend to read.
Learn how to handle books.
Learn about print and how it works.
Identify letters by name and shape.
Identify separate sounds in spoken language.
Write with scribbles and drawing.
Connect single letters with the sounds they make.
Connect what they already know to what they hear read.
Predict what comes next in stories and poems.
Connect combinations of letters with sounds.
Recognize simple words in print.
Sum up what a story is about.
Write individual letters of the alphabet.
Write words.
Write simple sentences.
Read simple books.
Write to communicate.
Read simple books.
Children can take more than one of these steps at the same
time. This list of steps, though, gives you a general idea
of how your child will progress toward
reading.
Talking and Listening
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’s why it is so important to talk,
sing, smile, and gesture to your child. Hearing you talk is your
baby’s very first step toward becoming a reader, because it helps her to love
language and to learn words. Hearing you talk is your baby’s
very first step toward becoming a reader, because it helps
her to love language and to learn words.
As your child grows older, continue talking with her. Ask
her about the things she does. Ask her about the events and
people in the stories you read together. Let her know you
are listening carefully to what she says. By engaging her in
talking and listening, you are also encouraging your child
to think as she speaks. In addition, you are showing that you respect her knowledge and her ability to
keep learning.
Reading Together
Imagine sitting your baby in your lap and reading a book to
him for the first time. How different from just talking!
Now you’re showing him pictures. You point to them. In a
lively way, you explain what the pictures are. You’ve just
helped you child take the next step beyond talking. You’ve
shown him that words and pictures connect. And you’ve
started him on his way to understanding and enjoying books.
While your child is still a baby, reading aloud to him
should become part of your daily routine. Pick a quiet time,
such as just before you put him to bed. This will give him
a chance to rest between play and sleep. If you can, read
with him in your lap or snuggled next to you so that he
feels close and safe. As he gets older, he may need to move
around some as you read to him. If he gets tired or
restless, stop reading. Make reading aloud a quiet and
comfortable time that your child looks forward to. Chances
are very good that he will like reading all the more because
of it.
Try to spend at least 30 minutes each day reading to and
with your child. At first, read for no more than a few
minutes at a time, several times a day. As your child grows
older, you should be able to tell if he wants you to read
for longer periods. Don’t be discouraged if you have to skip
a day or don’t always keep to your schedule. Just get back
to your daily routine as soon as you can. Most of all, make
sure that reading stays fun for both of you!
What Does It Mean?
From the earliest days, talk with your child about what you
are reading. You might point to pictures and name what is in
them. When he is ready, have him do the same. Ask him, for
example, if he can find the little mouse in the picture, or
do whatever is fun and right for the book. Later on, as you
read stories, read slowly and stop now and then to think
aloud about what you’ve read. From the time your child is
able to talk, ask him such questions about the story as,
“What do you think will happen next?” or “Do you know what a
palace is?” Answer his questions and, if you think he
doesn’t understand something, stop and talk more about what
he asked. Don’t worry if you occasionally break the flow of
a story to make clear something that is important. However,
don’t stop so often that the child loses track of what is
happening in the story.
Look for Books!
The books that you pick to read with your child are very
important. If you aren’t sure of what books are right for
your child, ask a librarian to help you choose titles.
Introduce your child to books when she is a baby. Let her
hold and play with books made just for babies: board books
with study cardboard covers and thick pages; cloth books
that are soft and washable, touch-and-feel books, or
lift-the-flap books that contain surprises for your baby to
discover. Choose books with covers that have big, simple
pictures of things that she sees every day. Don’t be upset
if at first your child chews or throws a book. Be patient.
Cuddling with the child as you point to and talk with great
excitement about the book’s pictures will soon capture her
interest. When your baby becomes a toddler, she will enjoy
helping to choose books for you to read to her. As your
child grows into a preschooler and kindergartner, the two of
you can look for books that have longer stories and more
words on the pages. Also look for books that have repeating
words and phrases that she can begin to read or recognize
when she sees them. By early first grade, add to this mix
some books designed for beginning readers, including some
books that have chapters and some books that show
photographs and provide true information rather than
make-believe stories. Choose books with covers that have
big, simple pictures of things that she sees every day.
Keep in mind that young children most often enjoy books
about people, places, and things that are like those they
know. The books can be about where you live or about parts
of your culture, such as your religion, your holidays, or
the way that you dress. If your child has special interests,
such as dinosaurs or ballerinas, look for books about those
interests.
From your child’s toddler years through early first grade,
you also should look for books of poems and rhymes. Remember
when your baby heard your talking sounds and tried to
imitate them? Rhymes are an extension of that language
skill. By hearing and saying rhymes, along with repeated
words and phrases, your child learns about spoken sounds and
about words. Rhymes also spark a child’s excitement about
what comes next, which adds fun and adventure to reading.
Show Your Child That You Read
When you take your child to the library, check out a book
for yourself. Then set a good example by letting your child
see you reading for yourself. Ask your child to get one of
her books and sit with you as you read your book, magazine,
or newspaper. Don’t worry if you feel uncomfortable with
your own reading ability. It’s the reading that counts. When
your child sees that reading is important to you, she may
decide that it is important to her, too.
Learning about Print and Books
Reading together is a perfect time to help a late toddler or
early preschooler learn what print is. As you read aloud,
stop now and then and point to letters and words; then point
to the pictures they stand for. Your child will begin to
understand that the letters form words and that words name
pictures. He will also start to learn that each letter has
its own soundone of the most important things your child
can know when learning to read.
By the time children are 4, most have begun to understand
that printed words have meaning. By age 5, most will begin
to know that not just the story but the printed words
themselves go from left to right. Many children will even
start to identify some capital and small letters and simple
words. In late kindergarten or early first grade, your child
may want to read on his own. Let him! But be sure that he
wants to do it. Reading should be something he is proud of
and eager to do and not a lesson.
How Does a Book Work?
Children are fascinated by how books look and feel. They see
how easily you handle and read books, and they want to do
the same. When your toddler watches you handle books, she
begins to learn that a book is for reading, not tearing or
tossing around. Before she is 3, she may even pick one up
and pretend to read, an important sign that she is beginning
to know what a book is for. As your child becomes a
preschooler, she is learning that When your toddler watches
you handle books, she begins to learn that a book is for
reading.
A book has a front cover.
A book has a beginning and an end.
A book has pages.
A page in a book has a top and a bottom.
You turn pages one at a time to follow the story.
You read a story from left to right of a page.
As you read with your 4- or 5-year-old, begin to remind her
about these things. Read the title on the cover. Talk about
the picture on the cover. Point to the place where the story
starts and, later, where it ends. Let your child help turn
the pages. When you start a new page, point to where the
words of the story continue and keep following the words by
moving your finger beneath them. It takes time for a child
to learn these things, but when your child does learn them,
she has solved some of reading’s mysteries.
Early Efforts To Write
Writing and reading go hand in hand. As your child is
learning one, he is learning the other. You can do certain
things to make sure that he gets every opportunity to
practice both. When he is about 2 years old, for example,
give your child crayons and paper and encourage him to draw
and scribble. He will have fun choosing which colors to use
and which shapes to make. As he holds and moves the crayons,
he will also develop muscle control. When he is a late
toddler or early preschooler, he will become as eager to
write as he is to read. Your preschool child’s scribbles or
drawings are his first writing. He will soon begin to write
the alphabet letters. Writing the letters helps your child
learn about their different sounds. His very early learning
about letters and sounds gives him ideas about how to begin
spelling words. When he begins writing words, don’t worry
that he doesn’t spell them correctly. Instead, praise him
for his efforts! In fact, if you look closely, you’ll see
that he’s made a pretty good try at spelling a word for the
first time. Later on, with help from teachers (and from
you), he will learn the right way to spell words. For the
moment, however, he has taken a great step toward being a
writer.
Reading in Another Language
If your child’s first language is not English, she can still
become an excellent English reader and writer. She is on her
way to successful English reading if she is beginning to
learn many words and is interested in learning to read in
her first language. You can help by supporting her in her
first language as she learns English. Talk with her, read
with her, encourage her to draw and write. In other words,
do the same kinds of activities just discussed, but do them
in your child’s first language.
When your child first enters school, talk with her teacher.
Teachers welcome such talks. They even have sign-up times
early in the year, though usually you may ask for a meeting
at any time. If you feel that you need some support in
meeting with the teacher, ask a relative, neighbor, or
someone else in your community to go with you.
When you do meet, tell the teacher the things that you are
doing at home to strengthen your child’s speaking and
reading in her own language. Let the teacher know how
important you child’s reading is to you and ask for support
for your efforts. Children who can switch back and forth
between languages have accomplished something special. They
should be praised and encouraged as they work for this
achievement.
READ TO YOUR CHILD EVERY DAY!!!
Janelle Spaulding: Stay-at-home mom and teacher to 10, 8 of whom are adopted. http://www.10kidsathome.com is a free newsletter.
