How to Raise a Lover of Books
The single most important thing you can do to help your child make the
connection between spoken language and the printed word is to read to her,
and the earlier the better.
Start reading to your baby when she is just a few months old. Snuggle
together so she begins to associate reading with warmth and security.
This happy feeling can last for the rest of her life when she settles
down to read a book.
At first choose sturdy books that won't be destroyed by your child's
natural urge to rip, tear, and squeeze (otherwise known as explore)
the books. Board Books are ideal for those young hands and usually
have a single, colorful picture on each page that helps tell a story. Very
young children love animals are interested in basic life experiences
such as eating and discovering their bodies and familiar objects around
them. Rhyming books are especially appealing to young children.
See Sara Says
book recommendations for babies.
It's okay if you can only read a couple of pages to a young child before
they lose interest. Keep reading and use your voice to make the book
exciting-he may be enticed back.
Talk to your baby about the objects in the book and point to similar
objects around him. As your baby grows into a toddler, you can add
more detail to the story to make it more interesting, or you can shorten it
if it is too complex. Talk about the emotions of the characters in the book.
Parents are often amazed at how much understanding is actually taking
place with just spoken words. Illustrations can also be filled with
information to talk about with your child.
Let your child choose the books he wants to read. If he has a favorite book
that he wants to read again and again, try to accommodate this. Children
learn so much through repetition and you are actually helping to build
pre-reading skills. As your child hears a story again and again, he begins
to anticipate what will happen next. It won't take long to associate the
printed word with spoken language, which is a very important connection
to make.
Let your child ask questions or make comments about a book. Be ready to
relate what you are reading to your child's own experiences. Encourage
his attention and participation with positive comments.
Sometimes follow the print with your finger to show that reading starts
at the top and moves from left to right. Sometimes let your child turn
the pages. These are wonderful ways to begin building concepts of print.
Try to set aside a regular time to read to your child each day. Before
naps and bedtime usually works well to help wind children down. Try to put
books within easy reach so he can look at them and read them on his own.
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