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Help your child enjoy reading
Think of all the things your child has learned to do since birth - walking, talking, getting dressed, riding a trike - the list is endless. The most important step towards independence is learning to read.
Discover some Big Ideas, Top Tips and Pearls of Wisdom!
Reading, a big step for your child
Walking, getting mobile
Children can be either cautious or daring when they take their first steps. Remember when your child was between eleven and twenty months? How he pulled himself on to his feet by holding on to the bars of this cot? How he moved around by holding on to the furniture? And how, finally, perhaps with a little help from you, he was fully confident… and was off!
Speaking, getting heard
Before you know it, your child is making ‘agoo’ noises and other gurgling sounds. Then comes the endless ‘dadada’ and ‘mamama’ sounds and odd words here and there. This is followed by groups of words and sentences. By talking to your child, you have already been preparing him to learn to read
Reading, a key to the world
Reading will probably not be completely new to your child. You may well have been reading bedtime stories aloud since she was very small, when she would snuggle up to you and ‘read’ the pictures as you read the words. The pictures are a child’s word-free way into the story. By learning to understand the words, your child will be able to access the world of stories independently, and feel at ease in today’s worlds.
Whatever your child does later in life, she will need to know how to read and write.
Understanding the written word is important:
- to get on at school
- when filling out forms later on
- when reading instructions to operate a machine
- when accessing the world of technology and culture
- to enjoy books and magazines.
Walking, talking and reading are hard work for all children. They need time to develop at their own pace, and they need your support and encouragement to move forward. As a parent, you are an essential part of the process!
