Get Ready To Read

Things to do to prepare your child to read

Babies-Birth to 2 Years

Sing songs
Listen to music
Recite nursery rhymes
Share books with your baby
Read aloud together every day
Listen when your baby babbles
Speak clearly and use short sentences
Talk to your baby about what you are doing
Make eye contact when talking to your baby
Play games: Peek-a-Boo and Itsy Bitsy Spider
Identify things around you: pictures in books, things at the store
Change your tone of voice to fit the book you are reading or situation
Let your baby touch and feel board books
Point to words as you read them
Read alphabet books
Read number books

2 and 3 Year Olds

Tell stories
Make up silly songs
Read with expression
Play games: Hokey Pokey
Make up stories together
Point out letters everywhere
Let your child see you reading
Ask questions about a story you read
Tell your child what sound each letter makes
Ask your child what they think is going on in a picture
Discuss what is the same and what is different about two things
Encourage your child to talk about something they did that day
Talk about which words begin with a certain letter
Let your child hold the book and turn the pages
Read aloud together every day
Identify colors and shapes
Read favorite books often
Choose books together

4 and 5 Year Olds

Make up poems
Share wordless books
Read poems together
Make an alphabet book together
Have your child identify objects in books
Play I Spy: I spy something that rhymes with cat
Listen carefully when your child speaks to you
Ask "What might happen next?" when you read a story
Relate events from stories to your child's own experiences
Let your child "read" a book to you that is familiar to him or her
Explain that events in books happen in order: first, next and last
Have your child retell a story using props: puppets or stuffed animals
Show your child that the same letter can look different: upper and lower case
Show how little words put together can make another word: book + bag
Clap out words as you say them to show syllables: Su-san has 2 claps
Read nonfiction books that interest your child
Talk about how a story makes your child feel
Read aloud together every day
Identify words and objects
Read traffic sign

Reading begins at birth

Early literacy is what your child knows about reading before they actually read, and it is an important stage of a child's development. The things you do with your child today will help determine how ready they are to read when they begin school.

There are six pre-reading skills that are the foundation of reading. You and your child can start practicing them today to ensure a successful reader tomorrow. Related activities allow you and your child a time of interaction and sharing that will be creative, beneficial and, most of all, fun.

Vocabulary
Know the name of things
The larger the vocabulary the better a child will read. Knowing what a thing is makes it easier for a child to recognize the word when they see it and understand what they read.

Print Motivation
Enjoy Books
If children are comfortable being with books they will want to learn how to read themselves.

Word Awareness
Notice the written word
Being familiar with words and language helps a child realize that words and printed material are useful.

Phonics Awareness
Listen to sounds
Children learn that words are made up of separate sounds. This makes sounding out words easier when they begin to read.

Narrative Skills
Describe things
Talking develops comprehension, which leads to understanding, which helps a child understand what they read.

Letter Knowledge
Know the names and sounds of letters
Knowing the name and sound of each letter helps a child sound out words.

The Library is a great place to introduce your child to the joys of books and reading. It has a wealth of resources to help your child Get Ready to Read. A multitude of books, videos, DVDs, books on cassette and CD, magazines and music CDs are available for each developmental stage of your child. The Library offers storytimes, a summer reading program and special programming in an interactive way that is sure to bring a smile to any youngster's face. And best of all, a knowledgeable staff of librarians dedicated to helping you find exactly what you need to help your child Get Ready to Read.

"Book fall open, you fall in, delighted where you've never been..."

DAVID MCCORD