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A Book A Day
Healthy Routines for Preschool Children
(Part 1 of 4)

How are books like food?

Both books and food nourish development, and both require active grown-up involvement to promote healthy habits.

Initially, children enjoy both just for the sake of using their hands, putting things in their mouth, and the close attention they get from loved ones.  Some may go through stretches of being picky or liking the same thing over and over.  Increasingly with age, they will want to do more of both on their own and proudly share with others just how much they can do. With reading or feeding, children associate the things caretakers do as part of their (healthy and not-so-healthy) routines. Your choices -- acting as a role model, turning on or off the television, sharing a special time every day when everyone enjoys books or food together, providing variety and special treats, and creating or keeping family traditions, all have an impact.

Research supports the fact that regularly reading aloud with children helps kids of all ages learn to read better. When does this start? It is never too early, but the basic skills that lead to successful readers in school certainly start well before kindergarten.

“Reading” will change as your child grows– chewing books, turning pages, pointing out pictures, naming things they recognize, pretending to read, mastering the complex process of learning to read words and sentences and eventually whole stories.

Interesting stories, more than mastering the mechanics early on, will encourage children to be lifelong readers. So do your part to make sure the books are enjoyable for your individual child. This can be finding a book with silly rhymes, fantastic illustrations, a special subject, pictures and pages made by your child, or a special trip to the library or bookstore (or your pediatrician.) Try to combine books your child selects with ones you think your child may love.

Most importantly, remember that your daily involvement will determine whether reading is fun – the snuggling next to you, the voices you give to the characters, the little games you play by changing words and stories, your undivided attention, and your overall attitude toward reading.

Three Simple Strategies to Start Raising a Reader
  1. Make time everyday to read to your child; remove distractions and focus on your child.
  2. Go beyond the words on the page; have fun, be creative, develop the art of storytelling.
  3. Set an example; start with turning off the TV and picking up something enjoyable to read.

Preparing for the Reading Process in Preschool Children
(Part 2 of 4)

Want to Read More About Raising Readers?

The next section goes into further detail about recommended preschool activities in four “building blocks” of reading: language and vocabulary, phonological awareness, book and print awareness, and letter knowledge.

Succeeding at Reading – Early School-Age Children
(Part 3 of 4)

Reading is one of the most amazing skills achieved by children in the first few years of school. While most children learn to read regardless of the teaching method, one out of every five children may need special help. Research supports a variety of methods, especially if matched to a child’s learning style, helps almost all children learn to read. This also prevents problems in 90-95 percent of children who are at risk for reading difficulties, if started before third grade. Complete programs to teach reading combine methods in five key areas:

Phonemic Awareness is the ability to hear, identify and manipulate the individual sounds in spoken words. This is different from phonics, but often taught in combination effectively.

Fun ways to “tune” a child’s ear to the sounds in words include:

Wordplay in songs and poems - pointing out how some words sound similar at the beginning or end, to asking for words (including nonsense ones) that rhyme with a given word.

Activities that break up words into separate sounds, for example, “How many sounds are in the word ‘sun’? Let’s say each sound and clap….” Or blend sounds together to form words, for example, “What word is /b/ /i/ /g/?” (saying just the sound of each letter.)

Phonics is the relationship between written letters and the sound parts (or phonemes) of spoken language. Children who are reading-challenged benefit when connections between letter combinations and sounds are clearly taught, especially along with phonemic awareness. Commercially available tools help with phonics instruction, however commonplace things also work with some imagination – wooden blocks with letters, cutouts from magazines, paper or play-dough or other arts and crafts materials, or a good alphabet
book with pictures triggering familiar words
using the letters.

Fluency is the ability to read text accurately and quickly. Repeatedly reading out loud guided by teachers, peers or parents is the most effective way for children to master this area. The text should be appropriate to the reading level of the child, with one in 20 challenging words being a good level of difficulty.

Vocabulary can be developed directly and indirectly. Children learn indirectly from conversing (and overhearing) daily, listening to adults read to them, and reading on their own. Children can also learn from direct teaching of new words, especially when the word is used repeatedly in many different contexts.

Comprehension is the ultimate goal of reading – gaining knowledge and understanding, discovering new ideas, enjoying stories, exploring new worlds. There are many different ways to achieve this, which include asking and answering questions. Also, active reading with a purpose helps, so follow your child’s interests.

Additional Strategies for Raising Readers
  1. Have fun with phonemic awarenes s and phonics - Learning early builds self-confidence.
  2. Listen patiently, guide positively as your childreads – Practice counts more in your presence.
  3. Engage in regular conversations – Build your child’s vocabulary, comprehension and self-esteem.

A Lifelong Love of Reading Starts in Childhood
(Part 4 of 4)

How can I keep my child interested in reading?

The strategies that worked for your toddler will continue to be important as your child moves forward to reading independently. The increasing challenge will be the many alternatives to reading that will compete for your child’s attention and time. However, by establishing caring and consistent routines that include books and a love for learning, you can actively keep involved.

Encourage your child to learn more about the things for which he/she seems interested or curious. Remain flexible, because children do learn in many ways beyond books and reading, and ultimately will absorb the most when they learn in many different ways and experiences.

Points to Remember:
  1. Establish a family reading time – Set simple routines and rules as during a family meal.
  2. Promote variety – Let your child choose some reading material while suggesting others.
  3. Lead by example – Make sure the grown-ups are doing what you are teaching.
  4. Balance your child’s need to read independently with your ongoing involvement.
Most importantly, you can lead by example, since you are ultimately your child’s most influential teacher, through the things you do regularly – taking time yourself to read, discussing something interesting you just read, sharing stories, going to the library, picking up the newspaper, watching less television. Please begin with the family enjoying A Book A Day!