How To Build A Reading Environment At Home For Your Child

How To Build A Reading Environment At Home For Your Child

We've all heard the importance of teaching our children to read while they are young. All of the shows on television for young children promote reading (Sesame Street, Between the Lions, Reading Is Fundamental). How many of you remember Captain Kangaroo? Even the Captain or Mr. Greenjeans, read stories to the children. For years we have been exposing children to reading through various television programs specifically for children. Yet, too many parents are not exposing their children to reading in the home.

The National Early Literacy Panel has outline several skills which predicate reading achievement. They are as follows:

Alphabetical Knowledge - knowledge of names and sounds associated with printed letters.

Phonological Awareness - detecting, manipulating or analyzing parts of words.

Rapid/Automatic Naming of Letters/Digits - naming a sequence of random letters or numbers.

Rapid/Automatic Naming of Objects/Colors - naming a sequence of random sets of pictures or objects.

Writing or Writing Name - writing letters in isolation or one's own name.

Phonological Memory - remembering spoken information for a short period of time.

If your child has these abilities then they show a strong development of literacy.

How does one help your child to develop these abilities? First, your home should reflect the use of reading and writing materials. Subscribe to some children's magazines. As your child grows, find those magazines that most interest them. Purchase small books that they can sit and learn to read. Young children will mimic what they have heard when rereading a book. Eventually, they will recognize the words and be able to read the book themselves.

Set up a corner of a room (does not have to be the child's room, could be the living room) with a bookshelf for your child's books and magazines. Make a daily event of reading books to one another. As you read, ask probing questions. What do you think will happen next? What is the name of the main character? Etc.

Many stores have writing pads for children. Some of these writing pads will illustrate how to write the letters of the alphabet and the numbers 0 to 9. Spend time with your child in writing letters and numbers. The more practice they have, the more skills they will develop. I have found books that are called "Everything You Need to Know for 1st Grade". These are written for grades kindergarten through I believe fifth grade. Check them out. Go to a bookstore and you will find even more grade level books to help your child get ahead in schools. I know there are many activity books written for preschool level.

The important thing in setting up a reading environment in your home is to have access to the materials everyday. The more you exposure your child to reading and writing, the more they will learn. Make it fun. Do hands on activities in which your child experiences the fun part of learning. Post your child's writings around the house (not just on the refrigerator). I even started a scrape book for my students when I taught Elementary. They loved that.

Anything you can do as a parent to prepare your child for his/her academic life, will help your child to do better in school. Remember that you are your child's first teacher. Be an active parent and participate in every aspect of your child's academic life.

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