High Five - Reading Together: Birth to Preschool

The Five Practices

Help your child get ready to read by helping them with these five simple practices:

1.  TALK!

• Comment on new words as they come up in stories, on TV or on the radio.
• Have children make up different endings to your stories. E.g. "What would have happened if...?"
• Talk, talk, and talk to your child about everyday and about everything you do. 
• Even if your child doesn't talk much, keep on teaching, they are "little recorders" and are still learning. 
• Your child's ability to remember names of things is humongous!
• The words a child hears in the first three years of life establishes their adult vocabulary.
• If you’re thinking of teaching your child a second language it’s more likely to stick if taught within the first 5 years.
• Did you know whenever you talk, read or sing to your child, their brain cells are being turned on?
• Did you know: The brain of a 2-year old is twice as active as a college student’s brain!
• Did you know that children develop early literacy skills even before they learn to speak?

2.  SING!

• Singing with your children teaches them to hear the small parts of words, which is a natural way to teach them syllables.
• Rhyming helps children learn their language. Recite poems and nursery rhymes often. Reciting nursery rhymes to your child helps them learn the rhythms and patterns of language.
• Converse a while with your child in "made up" words. Inflection is part of understanding words and it can be so funny.
• Use an instrument to tap out the syllables in a child's name.
• Insert your child's name in a song.

3.  READ!

• Repetition is important.  Read stories again and again. 
• Read when your child is in a receptive mood.  No one likes to be forced.
• Be someone to be copied. When parents read in front of their children, they show they love books.
• Occasionally point out words and details and move your finger across the page.
• Reading to children is the best way to expose them to new words.
• Don't let the sun set on a book-free day. Make books part of every day with your child. Don't let a day go by without reading a book, a poem, or a story. Good reading habits can be established by reading to your child every day. Reading helps lengthen your child’s attention span.
• Read in an upbeat, happy voice. It’s a great way to bond. Make reading fun by reading with lots of expression!
• Even a baby learns quickly to turn the pages. It’s never too early to begin reading to your child.
• Point to words on signs, packages and labels. Help the child find the letters of their name on a page.
• Using visuals while you read (even a simple stuffed animal) is really fun for children.

4.  WRITE!

• Make letters out of different things. E.g. carrots, buttons, sticks.
• Draw letters in sand or dirt.
• Let children scribble and doodle. This is a precursor for writing.

5.  PLAY!

• For babies, toddlers and preschoolers, playing is the natural way to explore, discover, interact and learn.

• Playing helps children express themselves and put thoughts into words.
• Dramatic play helps children to develop important narrative skills. This helps them to understand that stories and books have a beginning, middle, and end.
• Play is one of the best ways for children to learn language and literacy skills. They learn about language through playing as the activities help them put thoughts into words and talk about what they are doing.
• Ask your child to touch certain objects around the room: “Can you touch the table? Can you touch the soft pillow?”
• Point out the nose, eyes or ears on your child and try it with a favorite doll or stuffed animal.
• Wind up a musical toy and hide it. “Where’s the music? Let’s go find it!”
• Play “I Spy a Letter” by finding objects that start with the first letter of your child’s name.
• Play a fun game like “Simon Says” to improve listening skills.
• Collect boxes, paper towel rolls and plastic containers for stacking and creating.
• Tiptoe, march, leap, hop or take giant steps around the room.

Resources

Tumblebooks
Online animated picture books that are read aloud to your child. In English and Spanish. Library card and PIN needed to at-home access. Click Here to log in.