You can be the key to your child's success with literacy. As his or her first teacher, you are in the unique position to help instill a love of reading in your child. Read aloud to your child. Choose materials (books, magazines, comics) based on topics your child finds interesting. Ask your child questions before, during, and after the reading of a book. Use the pictures in the story to predict the events of the story and identify the settings and characters. Remember the who, what, where, when, and why of the story.)   Create an alphabet of pictures. Choose a sound and ask your child to cut out pictures of things that begin with that sound. Have your child glue their picture onto an index card and write the letter that makes that sound. Use these cards to review sounds and/or letters. Surround your children with reading material. Children with a large supply of reading materials in their homes are known to score higher on standardized tests. Remember the local public library can be a huge source of materials for your home.
Encourage a wide variety of reading activities. Make reading an important part of your child's life. Have them read menus, grocery lists, road signs, game directions, the comics, or movie time listings. Let your child gradually share some of the reading aloud. You read a sentence, paragraph, or page, then it's your child's turn. Take over if your child seems tired or discouraged. Keep reading a fun thing, not just hard work. My favorite: Leave notes in a lunch bag or on the refrigerator for your child to discover and read. Make it simple, using words your child knows or you think he or she can sound out. Take your new reader to the library!
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