Everybody knows you should read to your child, but I
don’t think people understand why. There are more benefits than I could possibly
come up with in one subsection of an article, but the reason that escapes most
people is this: mechanics. This is how your child will learn that we read words
from left to right and from the top of the page to the bottom. This is how they
learn how to hold a book, how to turn the pages, and where the beginning and end
are. Once they have that down, then they can learn the difference between words
and pictures. And when they know what words are, they can recognize the elements
they know, such as Michelle’s M and c like corn flakes. With lots of exposure to
print (books), Michelle will get more sophisticated and start to recognize her
Ls and words like “stop” that she’s seen on signs.
5. Make Reading Fun and Rewarding
There are lots of reading systems on
the market that offer literacy games and activities, which are wonderful if you
can afford them. To save some money or supplement your purchased literacy games,
try making books with your child. The sense of ownership of a homemade book
really can compete with the bells and whistles of an electronic system. One of
my favorites is the cereal box book. If you cut the front off of your cereal
boxes you can create a book that your early reader can actually read from cover
to cover because they know the brands. Once you’ve collected four or five box
fronts, have your child help you put them in thin a 3-ring binder (nice because
you can keep adding to it) and make sure you really get excited that he or she
just made a book. You two might even design a cover with his or her name
featured. After you’ve read it a few dozen times together, put the book
somewhere they can pick it up and read it to Aunt Lucy, their friends, or the
dog whenever they get the inclination. Other book making projects include books
of family members, friends, favorite foods, colors, animals, a family vacation,
and so on. You can bind these with yarn or ribbon, make covers with old wall
paper or contact paper and card board, go as crafty or simple as you like.
Again, the fact that your child made the book is what will give it its value.