For the love of reading
Family Living Focus
By MARYANN K. OYLER Family and Consumer Science Educator Penn State Cooperative Extension

There is one thing that our house is full of and that is books! I can't actually think of a better thing to have filling up the house. Yes, there are all types of inf

ormation available via the web but to me there is still something nice about picking up a book either for enjoyment or to gain knowledge. Parents play in an important role in giving children the foundation and love of reading.

The development of reading skills begins during infancy. Babies begin learning language by listening to and responding to parents who talk and sing to their child. This early parent-child communication expands to include a process of imitating, responding, and then initiating as the child's awareness of the importance of words in human interaction grows.

According to research, parents can help build their child's reading skills by practicing the following suggestions:

o Demonstrate enjoyment of books and reading by sharing what you have read and talking about how books have contributed to your lives.

o Encourage your child to select books at your local library.

o Encourage your child's participation in beginning readaloud sessions by using open-ended questions (e.g., "What is the dog doing?").

o Read and re-read your child's favorite book to them. Children often memorize stories and will enjoy "reading" back to you what they have heard before. Identify objects in the pictures.

o Keep learning fun. Trying to teach children to read at an early age is not correlated with early reading and can cause frustration. Break up learning activities into manageable blocks that relate to your child's age level and attention span. Play games that involve filling in words in familiar sentences or rhythms. Provide writing materials for your child to practice with. Help your child make a homemade book by cutting words and pictures out of newspapers and magazines. Record a favorite book on tape so that your child can read along with the tape. Encourage your child to write notes to friends and relatives. Avoid the urge to correct a young toddler's first writing attempts.

o Invite your child to help you read cooking instructions as you follow a menu to prepare a meal.

o Talk to your child about everyday happenings. Show your interest in what your child has to say. Point out words that your child can see on signs and stores. Expand your conversation as your child learns through your example in the practice of using words and seeing words as symbols for understanding language.

Your Child Grows in Stages

Your child progresses through various stages in the adventure of learning to read. It is never too early to show books to and read to your child. Give inexpensive cloth books to your infant. Babies love to touch, taste, and even tear as they become familiar with books. As your child grows into the preschool years, she or he may want to imitate you and "pretend to read." Children at this age enjoy repetition of familiar stories and often want parents to read the same story over again. This helps children learn to anticipate events, become familiar with details, and understand the sequence of events in the story.

It takes time and patience to learn to read. There is no one best way for parents to teach their child to read. But, by providing a variety of opportunities and resources for your child to read, by being a role model, and by providing praise for your child's accomplishments, you can develop the reading potential and ability of your child