Growing into Reading

Your Baby

Your baby is a marvelous, discerning listener and loves the sound of your voice best. Reading provides undivided attention, strengthening the bonds of love and trust.

 

Listening to books helps your baby understand language and pick out the components of speech. There are words in books that are not used in casual conversation. Reading provides sensory-rich, descriptive language. Your baby listens closely by turning toward the reader and responds by smiling, laughing and babbling.

 

Rhymes attract attention and help your baby recognize sounds that are similar. Baby loves to imitate animal sounds and repeat simple syllables. Singing or chanting familiar rhymes at bedtime may help your baby relax and gently fall asleep.

 

Songs comfort and soothe, providing gentle stimulation. Singing is fun and creates a sense of wonder. Your baby prefers your voice rather than music on a CD. Listening to songs help baby learn to vocalize simple sounds.

 

CCPL offers BabyTime for non-walking babies, a 25 minute program of music, songs, rhymes and books for the very young.

Your Toddler

Toddlers take their first steps toward reading when parents talk and read to them!

 

"Reading" can be as simple as describing the pictures in a book without following the words printed on the page.

 

Charm your toddlers by reciting Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes using a book or by memory. The rhythm, gestures, and tunes that accompany them will be fun to experience again and again.

 

Introduce toddlers to letters and the sounds they make by reading alphabet books and singing the alphabet song.  Use their own name as a starting point to learn about letters.

 

 When you read with your toddler, show them how to turn the pages.  Use your index finger, or the child's, to follow the words you read.

 

Ask your toddlers questions that encourage them to talk about the story and the illustrations. This will encourage comprehension that contributes to reading success.

 

Above all, have fun!  Show your toddlers that reading is a joy!

 

 CCPL offers StoryTime for walkers up to age 3, 30 minute thematic program of stories, rhymes and songs is presented in two 8 week sessions in February/March and September/October.  Please contact your branch library for further information.

 

Your Preschool Child

Preschool children learn more and at a quicker speed than during any other time in their lives.  The average 3 ½ year old has more than 1200 words in his speaking vocabulary and can understand many more.

 

Children at this age really begin to interact with others in “cooperative play.”  Taking turns and sharing may be difficult at first, but children begin to use good manners and can be friendly and giving.

 

By this time, a child may be able to hold a pencil between the thumb and first two fingers.  Children often want to express creativity through various forms.

 

Three to five year olds often love being read to and may be able to recognize letters and make letter-sound matches (especially involving their name), participate in rhyming games, identify familiar signs and labels, understand that print is read left-to-right and top-to-bottom, and pretend to read and write.

 

Why, why, why?  Now is the time children like to ask “Why?” about everything!  It is suggested that adults take these questions seriously.  Simple direct answers to these questions work well.

 

CCPL offers StoryTime  for 3-5 year olds.  A 45 minute thematic program of stories, rhymes, songs and a craft is provided in two, 8 week sessions in February-March and September-October.  Please contact your branch library for further information.

 

Your Beginning Reader

This is a dynamic time for reading development! Kindergarteners are becoming emergent readers, that is, they can identify letters, and they understand the print they read is from left to right, top to bottom. First graders may start to learn reading independently.

 

Some tips to help your child develop reading skills:

 

Practice the Five Finger Rule by having your child read a page of a book,  and raising one finger for each word he or she cannot read. If no fingers are raised, it may be too easy. If four or five fingers are raised, it is probably too hard.

 

A book is just right if your child is reading at his or her own comfortable pace, likes the story, and is able to tell you about it.

 

Talk to your child about the story to help boost comprehension skills. Finally, play games with beginning sounds, or go on a letter and word hunts.

 

Be sure, though, to continue to read aloud to them. Among the benefits of reading aloud to children are that it boosts their vocabulary, helps them learn the specific sounds of language (phonemes) and helps them connect specific sounds to specific letters. Plus, it lets children know that reading is an important, but fun, family activity!

 

CCPL offers library programs like StoryTime, Drop-In Story Time, and After School Stories for your beginning reader.

 

Your Young Reader

What an exciting time as readers!  Your second or third grader is now experiencing books like never before.  Many children in this age range are decoding new and more challenging vocabulary, as well as comprehending the deeper meaning of text. 

 

Here are some key points to remember about your developing young reader:

 

Second to third graders are reading more efficiently and independently.  Look for books your child can read comfortably on their own.  “Comfortably” means  your child should make no more than 5 reading errors per page. 

 

Your second to third grader is developing special interests – sometimes on very specific topics.  Help your child choose books that they enjoy reading, and watch how much longer your child’s eyes will be engaged in print. 

 

Many children at this age are transitioning into chapter books. Help your child choose books from different genres:  fiction, poetry, biographies, non-fiction, mysteries, jokes & riddles, etc.

 

Children in second to third grade are encountering more challenging vocabulary and concepts in their reading.  Listen to your child read out loud; this will allow you the opportunity to provide them with the support and encouragement they need to tackle more difficult material.  This will also give you a better understanding of your child’s fluency and ability to decode words. 

 

Although your second to third grader can do so much on their own, it is still beneficial to read out loud to your child at this age.  Choose books that may be slightly above their comfort level and take time to discuss what is happening in the story.  Listening to a well-read story develops fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, and an overall love of reading!

 

CCPL offers library programs like After School Specials, Magic Tree House Club, Passport to the World, and Chapters and Crafts for your second and third grader.