News
The road to reading
1 Apr 2003
Enjoying books is the most important part of learning to read, and any moment given to sharing books is time well spent. Let your child help you choose the books you take home from the library, and don't be surprised to see the same familiar characters being chosen every time.
Top tips:
- Children love to look at their favourite books again and again - let them
- Be guided by your child as to whether or not they are too tired to look at books. If tired, try again later.
- Take books on journeys or when you are going to be in a waiting room - always have one in your bag
- Young children get bored quickly so little and often is best
- Involve others in your family in sharing books with little ones
As your child grows and develops, more words and phrases are understood, and sharing books gets to be more and more fun for both of you. You and your child will soon find favourite bits that you want to look at or go over again. The most familiar word will be 'Again'. More skill at concentrating allows you to introduce longer stories, and as the story becomes familiar you will find that you can sometimes leave out key words and they will supply the words for you.
Be available
Story tapes and tapes of songs are another good way to introduce words and stories. Listening is a key skill in learning language and learning to read. Make sure that your child can concentrate on the stories you are reading by switching off any background noise that might be distracting, such as the TV or radio.
The first five years are the prime time for learning language, and most of your child's language learning will come from the adults around them. You will be surprised at how much of your child's early vocabulary is directly attributable to the books that you read. There are not many monkeys and lions in our towns and cities, but there are plenty to meet in picture books.
The more time we spend talking with our children, the more we will enable them to develop the listening, concentration and talking skills they need. Sharing books is a great way to spark those discussions.
Learning to turn the pages and noticing the title of favourite books are good ways for young children to learn how books work. With familiar stories and simple word books you might want to run your finger along the words as you also point to the picture. You are helping to make the connection between the words we hear and the words we can see.
Books with rhymes and lots of repetition are especially valuable, as they encourage young children to play around with language. Again, leave out words at the end of the lines, and encourage participation. This is how they learn to remember words, and remember what they mean.
Be imaginative
Mix the kinds of books that you introduce - sometimes a crisp, clear one picture, one word per page book will give you lots to talk about, and at other times you will both want a story, or a lovely long rhyme. If you have been talking about animals, for example, a colourful non-fiction book with clear pictures of individual animals will provide as much entertainment as a funny story.
You might find that your child finds something in a book's pictures that you haven't seen yourself - a dog hiding behind a tree, for example, that's not really part of the story. Maybe the two of you can decide what the dog is doing there, and what its name might be.
Books are especially useful ways for your child to raise anything that might be worrying them. That same picture of a dog might get the response 'Don't like dogs', and allow you to talk about that fear.
You will have learned already to add a 'woof' when you meet a dog in a book, and your child will be doing the same. You may notice that your child gets to know the pattern of familiar books, and learns to anticipate what's coming before you turn the page. You might hear a 'woof' just before the dog has actually appeared - a clear indication that your child is learning just how to anticipate and also learning how books work.
Be encouraging
Books really are for sharing, so encourage friends and relatives to read with your children. Young children especially enjoy being read to by older siblings or cousins.
Reading is all around us, and you can show your child that you read all the time. As you go shopping you see the shop names and you read from your list. Going out to the park you can point to street signs, bus destinations and even words that you come across that begin with the same letter as your child's name.
Once your child begins formal education, keep on reading aloud to them even if they have started to read themselves. Don't be surprised if they want to go back to look at books they enjoyed when they were much younger - they will love to be back in a familiar story that they feel comfortable with. Take your lead from the school as to how to encourage their reading skills. Remember, it's not a race but a long and pleasurable journey that will have long lasting benefits for your child.
(Taken from NHS Mother and Child, Spring 2003)
