Activity 2: Let's Read!
When you point out or model reading skills, children have an opportunity to learn how print works and that it has meaning. Reading aloud to children helps them learn new words and how books work.
Words & Language: Activity 2
Benefits for Your Child:
- Learns that print goes from left to right, front to back, and top to bottom
- Realizes that print has a meaning
- Experiences how a book is organized
- Increases vocabulary
- Focuses attention
When you point out or model reading skills, children have an opportunity to learn how print works and that it has meaning. Reading aloud to children helps them learn new words. The more words children know, the better they will understand what they read.
Kindergarten Connection 
Children will become successful readers. They will begin reading simple books.
Activity: Let’s Read a Book
Limit distractions if possible and choose a quiet time for reading. Choose a few techniques from the following list. Using too many at one time may make the reading forced. If your child becomes bored, simply finish reading the book.
- Show your child how to hold and open the book.
- Use voices to make the characters and actions come to life.
- Point out where the story begins and follow the words with your finger as you read.
- Explain the meaning of all new words to your child.
- Ask your child to:
- Predict what might happen next.
- Describe what he/she thinks is happening in the illustrations.
- Tell how a character might feel or think.
- Connect the story to his/her own experiences. “How might you feel if this were you?”
Materials:
- Child’s favorite book
- Your lap
More Ideas:
- Have your child draw, retell, or act out a story.
- Have your child turn the pages as you read.
- Reinforce new vocabulary words by using them in daily conversation.
- Gradually increase the length and types of books (picture, nonfiction, wordless, action, magazines, comics) you read as your child’s attention increases.
Tips:
- Some books do not lend themselves to using the above techniques (for example, an alphabet book or a dictionary book). Do not force it. Keep it enjoyable. Your child’s attention span may vary from day to day.
- Reading to children of any age can help them improve language skills, regardless of their developmental level.
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Books: Let's Read
You Read to Me, I’ll Read to You by Mary Ann Hoberman. A book to help everyone learn to love reading.
Read to Your Bunny by Rosemary Wells. Tells what happens when parents and children share twenty minutes a day reading.
Wild About Books by Judy Sierra and Marc Brown. The librarian, by mistake, drives her bookmobile into the zoo.