Reading is a skill that every parent wishes for their child to learn.
It is something that can be frustrating to teach, however. Having said that, there are ways to begin setting a foundation for good reading before you even show your child a printed word. How is it possible to give your child a good head start with their reading from the earliest moment? It all starts in your child\’s EARS.
Speak to Your Child
From the moment you find out you are pregnant, begin speaking to your child. Your conversations may seem embarrassingly one-sided at first, but as your child grows he (or she) will begin to babble back to you in attempted conversation. Your unborn baby will begin to hear around 18 weeks into the pregnancy, so use this opportunity to expose him to a variety of different sounds.
Once your baby is born, speak with him as you carry him around and as you go about your day. Don’t be afraid to explain things in detail. Say to your little one things like, “Now we are going to make lunch. What should we make today? Here are some bananas and peanut butter.” Even if your baby doesn’t understand every detail at first, it encourages him to try out new words himself.
Use a Large Vocabulary
When speaking to your baby, use a wide variety of words in your vocabulary. Don’t be afraid to include words that are difficult to pronounce or understand. Using big words encourages an expansion of your baby’s vocabulary, and he will understand them as he grows.
Read to Your Child
There is no such thing as too much reading. Reading to your child opens the doors to his imagination. It exposes him to new sounds that you might not otherwise include in your conversation and gives him something to look forward to. Time spent reading with parents will imprint positive memories with your child in regards to reading, and encourage a love for it.
Rhyme with Your Child
Rhyming is a wonderful way to help your child lay a foundation for reading. Give your child examples of rhyming, and then ask him to give you a few. A great way to teach rhyming is to point to a body part and give a rhyming word for that body part. Then ask him to name the rhyming body part. Giving your child clues such as these helps them to learn the concept quickly, and soon he will be able to create rhyming words without any assistance.
Foreign Languages
It is worth mentioning that this approach is equally effective for teaching your child a foreign language. Studies have shown that the more sounds an infant is exposed to, the greater capacity they will have to learn to speak those sounds later. Speaking a large variety of words while your child is young in any language, including foreign languages, will allow him to become fluent more easily later on.
Teaching your child to read is a process that involves time and patience. It is well worth the effort since it will bring huge benefits to their life. Be sure to lay a foundation for reading long before your child is old enough to actually read. By following these simple rules, your child will be on their way to becoming an avid reader in no time at all.
There\’s an excellent article on the Multicultural Children\’s Book Day site that is a \”must read.\” World Languages for our Multicultural World | Guest post by Judy Martialay talks about how to prepare our children for success in the multilingual, multicultural 21st century. Read the full story here.
If you are looking for a fun digital and interactive children\’s story inspired by a kids\’ classic story, you will love The Ultimate Guide to Charlie out into the World.
Enter a world where collaborative play is woven into the fabric of our everyday family life. The Ultimate Guide to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory will open the door to transforming relationships, encouraging new perspectives, and indulging in the happiness and the joy of innovating with your children.
Who is Charlie? The Ultimate Guide to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is an interactive, adventure that leads us through the Chocolate Factory with stops along the way to create, laugh, and learn. It reawakens the passion and idea of “jumping” inside the pages of this book with the knowledge that each chapter is a gateway into a magical world. Now available on iTunes, it’s your opportunity to truly experience where art, literature and technology meet allowing you to feel the story like never before.
Charlie was born of a unique collaboration between co-authors Valarie Budayr and Roscoe Welply, this dynamic duo along with Kite Readers have crafted an enchanting world that leaps from the pages, and coaxes the reader to immerse themselves in the adventures that await them at the Chocolate Factory.
What You Can Expect with Charlie:
- A bridge between the “plugged” and “unplugged” world for families
- A book that brings families together reading and enjoying their imaginations.
- Creation of an atmosphere where reading becomes a family event instead of a solitary act.
- The option to educate, inform, and entice children to want to know more about the world they live in.
- The delight of pulling the story off the pages, and the act of bringing the pages to LIFE.
Gather your family and come along on a magical journey into one of the most beloved children’s books of all time to experience a story like never before. You will have a front row seat to this delightfully illustrated and fabulously written children’s enhanced digital e-book that will come to life with not only a great story, but over 20 activities and crafts that will spark their imagination and awaken their inner child.
Are you read for an adventure? Enter HERE to start the Charlie experience or grab your download on iTunes.
Disclaimer: This book is not affiliated or associated with the author, publisher, or distributors of Roald Dahl’s book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
