Read to Them Today: Invest in Their Future By Dawn Daniello
Early childhood research has shown that the first three years in a child’s life is when the brain can absorb the most information. The more experiences children are introduced to, the broader their world becomes. So what better way to engage children than by using stories and nursery rhymes via books?
When reading a book to your child, make sure you it’s a multi-sensory experience -- something your child can touch, hear, smell and taste, and make it an interactive event.
Some suggestions for making books come alive include:
Reading a book of colors, ask your child to find the colors in the book in their own bedroom. Have them help you sort socks by color when folding the laundry. Try different foods that are the colors found in the book. When driving in the car try to find as many things of one color and keep count of how many you find.
If your child’s favorite book is about transportation vehicles, go for a walk and see how many ambulances and fire trucks you can find. Visit your local fire department. Turn any type of box or carton into a bus, car or train by cutting some holes for windows and using the scrap paper to make the wheels.
Also, when reading to your child, listen to what he’s saying and ask open-ended questions such as, “What do you like most about the book?” Then expand on that. And keep in mind that by introducing your child to many forms of literature -- poetry, fiction, non-fiction, even picture books – you’re helping her expand her awareness not only of the written word, but also of the world.
If you instill in your children a love of reading at a young age, passion for literature and learning will hold as they grow into tomorrow’s reading adults.
Dawn Daniello is the early childhood specialist for the Child Care Council of Nassau, Inc.
Book Basics
Look for soft cloth, vinyl and board books that make it easy for infants to hold and turn pages. Keep in mind that your toddler loves and needs repetition. So get ready to read Brown Bear, Brown Bear and Goodnight Moon over and over again until your child feels she’s mastered it.
For a great resource for choosing books for children, readChoosing Books for Children: A Commonsense Guide by Betsy Hearne (Univ. of Illinois Press, $18). And don’t forget your local children’s librarian.
Classic Children’s Books
The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams
Brown Bear, Brown Bear by Eric Carle
The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn
Good Night Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
It Looked Like Spilt Milk by Charles G Shaw
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. & John Archambaut
