Let's Read!
The Benefits of Reading to Your Children
Parents, when you help your children learn to
read, you help them open the door to a big, exciting world. As a parent, you can begin an
endless learning chain like this: 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. When children become readers, their world
is forever wider and richer.
Studies have shown that children that are
read to on a consistent basis begin to develop both communication and thinking skills at a
much younger age than children that aren't read to on a consistent basis. In addition,
those skills continue to progress and develop much more rapidly in children that are read
to consistently. This progression of skills will continue as long as you spend quality
time reading with them.
Children appreciate the quality time you
spend with them reading books and enjoy good stories as well!
Here are some things you can do to make
sure you get your daily readings with your children:
Read aloud to your children: books,
newspaper and magazine articles, the back of the cereal box, labels on cans, or directions
- anything with appropriate printed material on it is
Read poems aloud together to learn about
rhythm and repeated sounds in language.
Point to the words on the page when you
read. Move your finger from left to right.
Listen to your children read homework or
favorite stories to you every day.
Go to the library together and check out
books. Be sure to ask the librarian for good books or to help you find what you need.
Have books, magazines, and papers around
the house, and let your child see that you like to read, too.
Encourage older children to read to
younger children.
Help experienced readers talk and write
about what they read.
Develop a quality nighttime ritual of
reading a few books with your children.
Remember, giving your
children a head start in life requires spending time with them - and part
of that time should be spent with a good book,
especially a Dr. Seuss one!
(information
for this article provided by FDA Consumer Magazine)
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