Many parents ask what they can do to encourage their little ones to enjoy reading, especially as they prepare for school. It’s important to remember that children model behavior, so if you read every day and enjoy reading, it is likely your kids will follow in your footsteps.
- Read to your child every day. Make it a special time when you both can relax, snuggle and enjoy the books together.
- Build your child’s home library with favorite books.
- Visit the library on a regular basis and borrow books and audio materials.
- Even if you are tired of reading your child’s favorite book over and over again, remember that it is good when your child loves a book and wants to hear it again and again. Repetition is familiarity, and familiarity is comfort. Repetition also reinforces a toddler’s memory and helps her learn new words, decipher pictures and figure out sound patterns.
- Even picture books have a story to tell. Encourage your child to tell you the story he sees in the pictures.
- When reading to your child, use expression, different voices and sound effects.
- Explore books that have different kinds of language, such as poetry, tongue twisters, rhymes and riddles.
- Choose a good book for yourself and enjoy it, allowing your child to see how much books mean to you.
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