Nurturing a love for reading and writing is a role that parents can play in their children's lives. Success in school and later careers depends on having good reading and writing skills. These days we constantly hear about the importance of literacy. What does literacy mean? It's the ability to read and write.
Help your child learn to love reading. The key is to start early. Read out loud to your child regularly. Research shows that reading together just 30 minutes a day significantly increases your child's reading ability. Help your child see that books can be lifelong friends.
Another important activity for promoting literacy is using the library. Get a library card for each child and go often to select new books. Check with the librarian to find what is appropriate. Take the time to look at your daily activities and help your child see the connection to reading and writing. Cooking, reading food labels, playing word games, and writing stories can be helpful too.
For children who don't read much, it might take time to get used to reading aloud, and later, silent reading. Give it the time it deserves. You may get tired of reading the same stories again and again but it is that repetition that is so important for your child.
Children see adults around them writing and reading messages, notes, articles or books. This often makes them want to say their ideas out loud so you can write them down. At preschool age or older, children begin to write, using their own invented spelling or best guess. They understand that writing helps them share important information and experiences. It is less important for children to spell the words right than it is to enjoy the experience. Correct spelling can happen a little later.
Once a child is able to read and write independently, it's common for many adults to leave children alone. Yet, shared literacy activities can continue all our lives. Reading is a wonderful social activity; an opportunity to share and recommend reading materials, and have discussions to expand interests, knowledge and opinions. Continue to read aloud with your child through the elementary school age years.
Some communities have created Authorfests or Reading Days where authors and illustrators offer workshops to children, parents and other guests. Activities can include read-alouds, skits from scenes, discussions, storytelling, decorations, dress-up as authors and more.
Pen pals and book clubs are other ways for the older child to enjoy reading. You can create a book club at your local library or school where children can get together to discuss a book that has been previously selected and read for the club meeting. These clubs give children another view into the world of books and an opportunity to share opinions with friends.
Here are some easy language and reading activities to do together with children at home or at school.
You can encourage your child to include reading and writing in their activities by providing a special place. You might have a child-sized table or desk and low, open shelves but a designated chair at the kitchen table can work well too. A nearby bulletin board to display finished work is a good idea. Here are some suggested materials to have available:
Child care programs that are strong in literacy activities enable children to have easy access to a wide variety of print materials and toys such as puzzles, Legos and blocks. Teachers can create a warm atmosphere with many ways to engage children in reading and writing exploration. The list below may give you a working checklist of what to look for when you are visiting a classroom or family child care program:
Most reading difficulties can be prevented but some children will not make satisfactory progress in reading and writing. The causes of literacy problems are many and varied.
One of the best ways to help a child is to build on what he already knows and can do. Parents and teachers can strengthen a child's self-esteem and encourage an individual's efforts. Children learn that it is acceptable to experiment, pause, hesitate, make errors and use repetition.
Computers offer children another way to connect to the written word. The internet provides resources where children can locate favorite books and authors, writing clubs, places to publish and other resources. Check out the following sites: