Reading

=**Here are some tips for encouraging reading readiness** = =**Idea One**=

//Surround your child with print materials//
Do you have a variety of books, newspapers, magazines, and/or professional journals in your home? Does your child have his or her own bookcase? Is it stuffed with favorite books? Do you visit libraries and bookstores with your child? Does your child see you reading for a variety of purposes? Do you read with your child for at least 20 minutes each day? =**Idea Two**=

//Encourage alphabet knowledge//
Sing the alphabet song. Now sing it backwards or to another tune. Seek out alphabet books that have both upper and lower case letters in a variety of fonts. Make your own alphabet books by cutting pictures from magazine or drawing them. Seek out magnetic letters in both upper and lower case. Help your child recognize letters in isolation and in random order. Help your child recognize the sound(s) each letter makes. =Idea Three=

//Encourage an understanding of how print works//
Point out the parts of a book as you read – cover, spine, title, author, dedication page, table of contents, etc. Ask your child to tell you where to start reading on a page – point to the first word. Ask your child to point to a word that starts with a specific letter. Ask your child to point to a specific word. Finger point to each word as you read a short section of the book. (This is harder than it sounds. Be sure to point to the word, not each syllable.) =**Idea Four**=

//Phonemic awareness (understanding speech sounds)//
Sing or recite rhyming verses. Play rhyming games. Take words apart by individual sounds and put them together again – bat to b/a/t and back to bat Do the same with compound words – baseball to base/ball and back again Play “One of These Things Is Not Like the Others” with sounds – cat, cake, bat, cape – which one doesn’t fit? Find items that all start with the same letter – counter, cupboard, closet, coffee cup, etc. =**Idea Five**=

//There are many ways to read a book//
Be sure your child spends some time reading “independently” each day. Beginning readers can: Read a few words (especially high frequency words, character names, or repeated phrases) while you read the story to them Use the pictures to tell a story Chant a familiar nursery rhyme with you while you point to the words Retell a familiar story while looking at the book Read a familiar story from memory