Read Baby Read!

Okay, so my leisure reading has been reduced to amNewYork but I try to provide my cuties with something more substantial when it comes to their reading, especially during the summer. The four parent questions below range from babyhood to 5+.  So after you read my PSA to join both the local Library and Barnes & Noble summer reading programs, scroll down to get the appropriate information for your age kid or you can read this entire 'jam packed full of good information' entry. Here we go!

All children should get their library cards (they can get one as soon as they are born!) and make a habit of going to the library between once a week and once a month.   Sign up for the Summer reading program at http://www.summerreading.org or sign up at your local library. They are even encouraging parents to sign up this year (is this the end of amNewYork for me?). You could also join Barnes and Noble's summer reading program.  All children will receive a book when they complete their reading log.

Our first question from Helen addresses children birth-age 3:

"I feel so silly reading to my infant.  Sometimes I feel she is not even paying attention.  Do I keep reading to her?"

Children should be read to every day from the time they are born (even in utero) and continue being read to until they tell you "Mom, have you seen the latest Economist?"

Infants and young children should have at least 2-3 books that are read to them over and over each day. I try to create a ritual around a particular book. For instance, "It Looked Like Spilt Milk" is only read at nap time and "Goodnight Moon" is only read at bedtime. This creates familiarity with text and pictures as they become acquainted with reading.  Don't worry, while it may seem they are not connecting at first, they are! Just the sound of your voice, hearing the language and the pictures creates a new way for a child to connect with you. Keep doing it!  For toddlers, let children choose their own books.  It's okay if they choose the same books over and over even if those are not exactly what you might choose for them. You can gently guide but do not push.  If children have ownership of their reading they will learn to love reading.

Our second comes question from Tamar for ages 3-4:

"Should we teach our child to read before school starts?"

Reading is complex and it involves many components such as decoding (the breaking down of sounds in a word), comprehension in context of a sentence, a paragraph and in terms of understanding the entire story, making predictions and inferences.   For parents, it is not necessary to 'teach' reading.   It can often backfire and turn your child off especially if they are not ready, or you can become frustrated as well.   The best way to begin getting your child to read is to read aloud to your child for 20 minutes a day.  By exposing children to literature you are showing that you value reading.   As you read you can ask questions such as: "Does this character sound like anyone you know?" "What do you think will happen next?" "What would you do?" "Did that ever happen to you?" Asking children to connect to a text (also known as a "text to self" connection) is a wonderful way to get children to be active listeners and readers.  You can even have children ask you these questions.  Kids love to play the teacher!

Another wonderful technique to get children involved in reading is to expose them to books without words such as Pat Hutchin's book "Rosie's Walk", Mercer Mayer's "Bubble, Bubble" or encourage them to 'read the pictures' in a book they are already familiar with.

Books with repetitive language like "When I was Little: A Four Year Olds Memoir of her Youth" by Jamie Lee Curtis and "Joseph Had a Little Overcoat" by Simms Taback are very effective in getting children to hear the repetitive language and become familiar with letters and phrasing. Using poetry or books that rhyme and pointing out words that 'match' or make the same sound, are also wonderful tools.

Finally, doing letter searches on the train, for instance: "find all the J's" (use the first letter of your child's name often!) or play "Let's think of all the L words we can and make a list" can also be helpful without making it a boring task.  

In the end, don't push but encourage a love of reading.  

Our third question comes from Teresa (applies to children five+)

"How do I know when my child is ready for the next reading level?"

Children are ready for the next reading level when they can read a book with 97% accuracy.   If percentages are not your thing just figure they need to get most of  the words right.  Not only should children be able to read the words but they should be able to find answers directly from the text such as "What color was Lucy wearing?" A step up from this activity would be asking advanced questions that children have to infer from the text or have to connect to other life situations.   Remember that a book that may seem simple or too easy to read does not necessarily mean your child is comprehending. Always ask questions and discuss or have your child retell the story in sequence.

Our final question comes from Melissa:

My son is five and a half and still not reading. I'm getting worried:

Depending on your child's school it may not be in their philosophy to 'teach' reading until the age of six or later. If this is the case, you may want to use many of the suggestions I have decribed above. I have also found books on CD very effective to get a non reader reading.   If this is not the case, you may want to talk to your child's teacher and discuss your concerns.   For some children they may simply not be ready and yet all other possibilities should be ruled out.   An eye and ear exam is a good place to start.   I had no idea my oldest child had the poorest of eyesight until he was almost 4 years old!  It was only after he got glasses that he began to show a real difference in his learning and personality.  There is a no frills online site that I think is very non-threatening and has some fun pre reading games.   The rest of the site also has some great information. It is called Get Ready to Read. If your child's situation seems much more complex, you may want to discuss your situation with a special educator or developmental pediatrician.    We are fortunate to live in an age of solutions.  There are techniques and therapies that can make a world of change for children very quickly.  The good news is that you care and are asking the right questions, keep looking for the answers on behalf of your child.

So, here's to a summer of reading!   You can even create a kids' book club along with the programs described above!   You can meet weekly and it is super way to keep children learning and connecting over the summer.