Make time for family readingNot only should your child see reading material around your home, you also need to make time to read it! To encourage family reading: • Establish a daily

reading time.• Get everyone—

including oldersiblings—involved in story time.

• Let your child see you reading forpleasure often.

Play rhyming games to boost your preschooler’s reading readinessThe better your child is at rhyming, the better prepared he’ll be to begin reading. Rhymes help young children learn the sounds letters make. Here are three rhyming games to play together:1. Rhyming Box. Fill a box with a

few objects. Have your childchoose one item from the boxand see if he can think of aword that rhymes with it.

2. Erase the Rhyme. Draw ascene—like a tree with aswing under a sun—on awhiteboard or piece of paper.Say a word (such as bun orring) and have your childerase or cross out the objectthat rhymes with it.

3. What Do I See? Think of anobject in the room and giveyour child rhyming cluesabout it. If you want himto guess table, you mightsay “I see a nable wable.”

Inspire fall reading fun with pumpkins

Celebrate October and harvest season with your child by

reading a book about pumpkins, such as The Roll-Away

Pumpkin by Junia Wonders. Then, together, make up a

story about pumpkins—and act it out with finger puppets.

To make pumpkin finger puppets:

1. Cut small pumpkin shapes out of orange construction paper.

2. Have your child decorate them.

3. Tape a loop of string on the back of each puppet for your

finger.You and your child will have fun acting out the story, and

she’ll be building motor and language skills, too!

Reading Readiness • October 2020

How Families Can Help Children Get Ready to Read

Strengthen your child’s thinking skills with activitiesBolster your child’s thinking skills, and she’ll be one step closer to reading readiness. To sharpen her brainpower in a fun, no-pressure way, give your child lots of opportunities to:• Solve jigsaw puzzles.• Paint and draw.• Explore the great outdoors.• Play memory games.• Invent stories.

Copyright © 2020, The Parent Institute®, a division of PaperClip Media, Inc., www.parent-institute.com

“Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.” —Joseph Addison

Have fun with songsSongs are terrific for sharpening your child’s language skills. Listen to favorite songs. Together, invent hand motions to go with the lyrics. Create a songbook. Compile a booklet of your child’s favorite tunes and their lyrics. Refer to it whenever you and your child are looking for something to sing.

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Books to delight your early reader• Paul Thurlby’s Alphabet by Paul

Thurlby (Templar Books). From A is for “Awesome” to Z is for “Zip,” the letters in this alphabet book transform themselves into the things they stand for.

• Anna Hibiscus’ Song by Atinuke (Kane Miller). Anna Hibiscus sits in a mango tree in her yard, happily watching her family members go about their days. As her joy grows, she invents a song that captures her happiness.

• Sleepyheads by Sandra J. Howatt (Beach Lane Books). It’s time for bed, and creatures everywhere are tucked in. From caves to nests to beds, every sleepyhead is cozy and ready to get some sleep.

Copyright © 2020, The Parent Institute®, a division of PaperClip Media, Inc., www.parent-institute.com

Reading Readiness • October 2020

Encourage your child to practice writingThose scribbles may be meaningless to you, but they’re actual words to your child. So don’t discourage your rookie writer by telling him his squiggles aren’t “real” letters and numbers. Instead, to inspire him to practice his writing:• Provide the proper tools. “This pad of paper and

these crayons are yours. You can use them to write or draw any time you want.”

• Invite him to help. “I’m making a grocery list. How about if you make one, too?”

• Have him sign his name. Encourage your child to show ownership of his drawings and other items by writing his name on them. Help him practice the letters in his first name.

• Nurture his creativity. Have your child tell you about a picture he drew. Ask him to sound out some of the words he knows as he tells you about the drawing.

Q: My child gets restless during story time. How can I ensure that he enjoys it?

A: You can’t force your child to enjoy reading, but you can make reading enjoyable! Start by sharing stories when he’s in a good mood. Find books he likes and read them as often as he wants. If he gets

antsy or distracted, take a break until he’s ready to focus again. Then try reading a new book.

Building Readers®How Families Can Help Children Get Ready to Read

Publisher: Doris McLaughlin.Publisher Emeritus: John H. Wherry, Ed.D.

Editor: Rebecca Hasty Miyares.

Copyright © 2020, The Parent Institute (a division of PaperClip Media, Inc.)

P.0. Box 7474, Fairfax Station, VA 22039-74741-800-756-5525, ISSN: 1531-4898

www.parent-institute.com

Focus on listening and speaking skills Building strong listening and speaking skills is critical to your child’s language development—which becomes the foundation for reading. To help your child develop these skills:• Speak to her clearly and

correctly. Try not to use “baby talk.”

• Have conversations often. Ask your child questions and encourage her to answer.

• Model listening behavior. Make eye contact with your child when she talks.

• Give multi-step directions. “Please find your shoes. Bring them here.”

• Encourage her to express her feelings and emotions with words.

Spot reading problems earlyIt’s never too early to watch out for potential reading difficulties. Kids who have trouble with sounds in words often have difficulties with reading later. Keep an eye out for signs that your preschooler is struggling with rhymes or has trouble recognizing words that start with the same sound. If you have concerns, talk with your child’s teacher or pediatrician.

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