When you help your children learn to read, you help open the door to a new world. In fact, you can begin an endless learning chain. You read to your children, they develop a love of stories and poems, they want to read on their own, they practice reading and, finally, they read for their own information or pleasure.
You don’t need to be an especially skillful reader to help your child develop reading skills. In fact, some public libraries offer adult literacy programs that involve reading to children as a way to improve literacy skills for the whole family. Additionally, you don’t have to devote great amounts of time to reading with your child. It’s the quality of time that counts.
There is no more important activity for preparing your child to succeed as a reader than reading aloud together. Fill your story times with a variety of books. Remember to be consistent and patient.
At just a few months of age, an infant can look at pictures, listen to your voice and point to objects on cardboard pages. Guide your child by pointing to the pictures and saying the names of the various objects. By drawing attention to pictures and associating the words with both pictures and the real-world objects, your child will learn the importance of language.
Children learn to love the sound of language before they even notice the existence of printed words on a page. Reading books aloud to children stimulates their imagination and expands their understanding of the world. It helps them develop language and listening skills and prepares them to understand the written word.
When the rhythm and melody of language become a part of a child’s life, learning to read will be as natural as learning to walk and talk.
Between the ages of 4 and 7, many children begin to recognize words on a page. In our society, this might begin with recognition of a logo for a fast-food chain or the brand name of a favorite cereal. But, before long, that special moment when a child holds a book and starts to decode the mystery of written words is likely to occur.
You can help remove part of the mystery without worrying about theory. Just read stories and poems to your child. There is no better way to prepare your child for that moment when reading starts to “click,” even if it is years down the road.
Helping your child become a reader is an adventure you will not want to miss. The benefits to your child are immeasurable, and in the process you will find your world becoming richer as well.
Sally Robinson is a clinical professor of pediatrics at UTMB Children’s Hospital, and Keith Bly is an assistant professor of pediatrics in the UTMB Children’s Emergency Room. This column isn’t intended to replace the advice of a physician.
