You are your child's first teacher

Here are some tips to help your child get ready to read:

• Read to your child everyday.  Even if it is just for a few minutes a day, reading regularly fosters a love of books that children can look forward to.
• Snuggle up while you read.  Children love to be close to their parents, and cuddling while reading will give them a sense of comfort and security with books.
• It's all about you.  Read, and tell stories in the language that you feel at ease with.  Young children's brains are wired to learn language, and hearing sounds and words from different languages expands their abilities.
• Play around.  Board books are great for reading, but curious kids will find many other ways to build, manipulate, and play with them.  Familiarity with books will build their desire discover what’s inside.
• Silly sounds.  Making funny voices and sound effects will invite kids to stay interested in a story and join in on the fun.
• Interruptions are welcome.  Invite your child to point, interact, and ask questions about the story.   Dialogs about the story will help you child build narrative, reasoning, and problem solving skills.
• Read and repeat.  We all know that children love to hear the same stories over and over again.  They are actually learning while they do this.  Repetition helps with letter and word recognition, and builds their comprehension skills.
• ABC, 123.  Make sure that your child’s book collection has at least one number and one alphabet book.  Familiarity with the building blocks of reading will build your child’s confidence when they become ready to read.
• Let your child lead.  Each child develops at their own pace, and pushing them beyond what feels comfortable can turn them off to reading.  Keep storytimes fun, and encourage the learning process, let your child choose books that are at your child’s interests and level.