Getting your child used to books starts from a very early age. Babies and toddlers love to hear stories and see pictures. Some books even offer textures that your child can explore as you read.
When your child turns four years old, she may start to put sounds together and recogni2e letters. This will be the start of her learning journey. She’ll need your support when it comes to starting to read. Here’s what you can do at home to help.
Read Together
Reading shouldn’t just be seen as a task to complete. Reading together is a great way for you to bond with your child and expand her imagination. There are many stories that make perfect bedtime stories for children.
It can help to show your child the words as you read and let her follow your fingers across the book. This is a fantastic step towards your child recognizing words on the page.
Make Use Of Technology
There will inevitably be times when you don’t have time to read together. If your child uses a device, like a tablet, there are many ways you can utilize it to improve reading. For example, there are many apps and games that allow your child to read stage by stage.
You can even print out your own certificates at home each time she completes a stage. Similarly, voice technology in education is becoming more popular. It allows your child to read words out loud and the technology will determine if the pronunciation is correct.
Use Props
For children to pay attention, they have to be invested in the story. If they’re not engaged with what’s happening, their attention will easily wander. To keep young children engaged, it can help if you use props.
This could be toys or teddies that you have at home that can act as characters from the book. It could be puppets that help you to voice the characters. Even if you haven’t got any props, changing your voice for each character will make the story more interesting.
Ask Your Child To Choose
The act of choosing her own book could be exactly what you need to perk her interest. By the age of four, many children know exactly what they like and dislike. When choosing a book at home, let your child take her time to pick.
You can also visit the library together and take a few books of her choice home. Using your local library is a great experience for your child and a good resource for lots of different books.
Give Books As Gifts
Books should be seen as something positive. Giving books as gifts is a good way for your child to recognize that books are as fun as toys. Look for the books your child is interested in and offer them as rewards for good behavior.
They can also make great gifts for a birthday or at Christmas. They’re excellent stocking fillers for children of all ages.
If you’ve found this article helpful, take a look at the others.
