Tips for Reading to Your Kindergartener
The Kindergarten years are very important developmental years for your child. Your child can now listen to instructions, recognize various letters and sounds of the alphabet, hold scissors and pencils. She is now ready to learn to read on her own. This is a critical time for instilling in your child the right attitude and skills needed to be a successful independent reader for life.
- Indulge your child and read the same book multiple times. Hearing a book repeated helps your child become more familiar with the language and the story.
- As you read, pause in places to allow your child to complete a rhyme or repeat a phrase or sentence.
- Point to words as you read them and encourage your child to repeat them after you.
- As your child begins to recognize some of the letters, challenge him to find a particular letter on a page.
- Encourage your child to "read" with you from memory. This helps her model reading behavior.
- Set aside 'special time' for reading with your child. This will encourage your child to develop a reading routine that will make reading part of his/her daily life. Read with your child everyday, if you can!
- Sound out the letters of the alphabet. Begin to teach your child that every letter in the alphabet makes its own individual sound. "This is the Letter A, this letter says aaaahhhh."
- Ask your child to read back words you have just read. Although she will do it by memory, this helps your child model correct reading behavior.
- Point out words everywhere. Reading doesn't always have to be from books. There is an opportunity to encourage reading by pointing out the printed words that surround us. Road signs, advertising, billboards, menus, posters, they all present excellent opportunities to explore reading.
- Discuss words. Your child's vocabulary will increase exponentially if constantly introduced to new words, 'This dinosaur was a CARNIVORE, this means he only ate meat!'
- Play word-related games. Spelling games, board games, even educational video games and apps can encourage your child to associate 'reading' with 'fun'.
- Take your child to the library! It is never too early to encourage your child's love of books. Here he will see other children who are interested in books and love reading.