Engaging Young Readers
Summer, a time for more unstructured play and activities. Enrich your child’s summer with learning activities to spark the imagination and expand the mind. Literacy, writing and reading to interpret and communicate meaning, is an essential part of your child’s education. Make the most of everyday opportunities to encourage literacy in your child.
Reading
- When reading to your child, follow the words with your finger to emphasize left to right progression of the written words on the page.
- Look for words the child can read.
- Encourage daily quiet reading for the whole family. Build a fort with pillows and blankets. Create a special summer reading bin.
- Make story time a regular part of the bedtime routine.
- Spend time at the local library.
Writing
- Draw pictures together, describing what you’re drawing.
- Write the words as your child tells a story then illustrate the story.
- Write thank you notes as a family.
Speech
- Talk about what you are doing (gardening, preparing dinner, cleaning, doing chores).
- Discuss how things work using descriptive words.
- Ask open-ended questions, rather than “yes-no” questions. Give the child time to think and answer.
Play
- Make play part of your day with your child. It’s really your child’s job!
- Play enhances literacy development.
© 2019 Becky Danielson. All rights reserved.
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