Literacy: A Gift That Lasts A Lifetime !

“Today a reader, tomorrow a leader !”

– Margaret Fuller

Now that the holidays are over, it is time for back to school! Here are five tips to help you keep your child on track for academic success this year. Literacy is very important even in our technology-driven world. Reading is essential in our everyday lives and can open a world of possibilities for our children. Promoting literacy should begin long before your child is of school age. Developing pre-reading skills such as letter pronunciations and picture reading are extremely important for establishing a good foundation for a lifetime of learning. Here are our top 5 tips for promoting literacy in your children from an early age.

1. Read aloud with your children

Did you know that one of baby’s first senses to develop in the womb is the sense of hearing? Babies can hear sounds starting at about 18 weeks (Mayo Clinic, 2017). So, go ahead, read some fun stories, and start bonding with your baby before he/she is even born! Reading interest drops significantly as children grow, possibly because most parents stop reading aloud to their children as they become more advanced readers. In fact, 40% of children aged 6-11 wished that their parents still read to them (Scholastic, 2015). Reading together is still enjoyable and many parents are missing this opportunity for continued growth in their relationship with their children. One idea to keep reading interactive may be for parent and child to take turns voicing different characters in a book.

2. Make books accessible

Have books everywhere! Having a dedicated home library with a cozy reading corner may be lovely. However, it could be more beneficial if books were easily accessed in all areas of the home, and not just kept in an isolated room where they may rarely get used. To encourage your children to read, always keep books within easy reach. You may keep books on a small bookshelf in their bedroom, in a basket in the bathroom, next to the board games in the family room, on a shelf next to the dining table, and even in the pockets of your car seats. If your child cannot read yet, find some phonics books that come with audio narration so your child can learn new words independently.

3. Make reading fun

If a person does not enjoy doing something, it will become a bore or a chore! Parents should try to encourage reading for fun, separate from academic assignments. Use this time to explore new topics of interest with your children. You could find fun books based on your children’s favorite toys or tv shows. Fun, interactive books with beautiful illustrations will keep young children engaged. You could find books that come with an affiliated toy, a fun activity, or an educational animation. Get creative with bedtime stories and have your child re-tell the story to you in their own words. It could help to build their vocabulary, enhance reading comprehension, and boost their imagination! Reading stories with a moral lesson can also help to build good character.

**This was an excerpt from an article written for the New Orleans Mom blog. Please click here to read the complete article.

Sources

Mayo Clinic Staff. (2017). Fetal development: The second trimester.

www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/pregnancy-week-by-week/in-depth/fetal-development/art-20046151

Rose Simons. (2015). Scholastic 2015 Kids and Family Reading Report. https://www.scholastic.com/parents/books-and-reading/reading-resources/language-and-literacy-milestones/scholastic-2015-kids-and-family-reading-report.html

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