Tips for Parents of Preschoolers


Read together every day
Read to your child every day. Make this a warm and loving time when the two of you can cuddle close.

Give everything a name
Build your child's vocabulary by talking about interesting words and objects. For example, "Look at that airplane! Those are the wings of the plane. Why do you think they are called wings&"

Say how much you enjoy reading
Tell your child how much you enjoy reading with him or her. Talk about "story time" as the favorite part of your day.

Read with fun in your voice
Read to your child with humor and expression. Use different voices. Ham it up!

Know when to stop
Put the book away for awhile if your child loses interest or is having trouble paying attention.

Be interactive
Discuss what's happening in the book, point out things on the page, and ask questions.

Read it again and again
Go ahead and read your child's favorite book for the 100th time!

Talk about writing, too
Mention to your child how we read from left to right and how words are separated by spaces.

Point out print everywhere
Talk about the written words you see in the world around you. Ask your child to find a new word on each outing.

Get your child evaluated
Please be sure to see your child's pediatrician or teacher as soon as possible if you have concerns about your child's language development, hearing, or sight.

Thank you for posting this Shaky. This is great advice. As a teacher I can always tell who is read to. They do better in school and it is such a great bonding experience!

Thats what I do with both of my kids and I get so many comments on how well they read. Well not so much Lily because she can't read yet but everyone tells me how smart she is. It makes me feel like such a good mommy!

Thanks for posting this. I am working with my son's reading and its good to know that I am headed on the right track.

I read to Bri not only because it's good for her but because I LOVE to read! I seriously look forward to her bed time as much as she does hehe. It really shows at school too and her vocabulary is excellent. She's reading at a 2nd grade level and she's in kindergarten. Maybe I'm bragging a bit but seriously, I've read to her since she was a baby because I couldn't wait to be able to read to her. It's really paid off.

Great advice!!!! My son LOVES us reading to him. It's so cute hearing him say "Book....READDDDDDDD!!!!!" :lol

umm... not to put down or school system, but be careful when teaching your pre-schoolers to read...
I went to a Presbyterian Pre-School & they tought us how to read & had us pretty well into a 3rd grade level. No joke. I went to Kindergarten, and there was a wheel you spin at a certain time of day to send you to the house section, arts & crafts, outside, or to the reading section. I enjoyed going to the reading section & for some weird reason, got sent home with notes from the teacher telling my parents I had a disciplinary problem because I would become anti-social while in that corner... Seriously??? Its not like i used the books to hit other kids or something!!! YOU give a kindergartener a book & see how hard they concentrate on that! lol So make sure your child is going to a COMPETENT school for kindergarten!!! lol

Sean likes to read on the computer. We use razz kids and they have little books that they can read along with.

Actually since Christmas he's been reading basic words and I am beyond surprised. This is coming from a kid with PDD-NOS and a touch of ADHD that even six months ago couldn't sit still long enough to LOOK at a book.

I'm really happy with his progress

Sean likes to read on the computer. We use razz kids and they have little books that they can read along with.

Actually since Christmas he's been reading basic words and I am beyond surprised. This is coming from a kid with PDD-NOS and a touch of ADHD that even six months ago couldn't sit still long enough to LOOK at a book.

I'm really happy with his progress

That's wonderful!!!

Tips for Parents of Preschoolers


Read together every day
Read to your child every day. Make this a warm and loving time when the two of you can cuddle close.

Give everything a name
Build your child's vocabulary by talking about interesting words and objects. For example, "Look at that airplane! Those are the wings of the plane. Why do you think they are called wings&"

Say how much you enjoy reading
Tell your child how much you enjoy reading with him or her. Talk about "story time" as the favorite part of your day.

Read with fun in your voice
Read to your child with humor and expression. Use different voices. Ham it up!

Know when to stop
Put the book away for awhile if your child loses interest or is having trouble paying attention.

Be interactive
Discuss what's happening in the book, point out things on the page, and ask questions.

Read it again and again
Go ahead and read your child's favorite book for the 100th time!

Talk about writing, too
Mention to your child how we read from left to right and how words are separated by spaces.

Point out print everywhere
Talk about the written words you see in the world around you. Ask your child to find a new word on each outing.

Get your child evaluated
Please be sure to see your child's pediatrician or teacher as soon as possible if you have concerns about your child's language development, hearing, or sight.


That is GREAT advice! I've been reading to the kids since they were LITTLE first born. Zach is in 1st grade and is reading at a 5th grade level. Ash is in Pre-k and is reading pretty good :) WE LOVE reading in this house

oh meant to add there is a GREAT website for early readers...
www.starfall.com

These are great tips! We LOVE reading in our house, I read all the time to DD and take her to the library with me every week to let her pick out books. She likes the Laura Numeroff ones (if you give a mouse a cookie, a moose a muffin, etc) and of course anything with Elmo or Dr. Seuss.

Actually, the librarian looked at me weird when I asked her how old Lydia had to be to get her first library card :lol :nerd So what if she's only two?