Helping Children Learn to Read

When does a child begin learning how to read? Is it when they go to kindergarten or to first grade? Is it when they are three- or four-years old? The answer is the day a child is born! A baby starts on the road to becoming a reader on the day he or she is born and first hears the sound of your voice. When you speak to a baby, sing to her, respond to the sounds she makes, you are strengthening her understanding of language.

Scientists who study the brain have found out a great deal about how we learn. They have discovered that babies learn much more from the sights and sounds around them than we thought previously. From the very beginning, babies try to imitate the sounds that they hear us make. They “read” the looks on our faces and our movements. That’s why it is so important to talk, sing, smile, and gesture with a child. Hearing adults talk is a baby’s first step toward becoming a reader because it helps her to love language and to learn words.

Babies soon recognize the faces and voices of those who care for them. As you read to your baby, she will begin to connect books with what she loves most—your voice and closeness. Try to make it part of your routine. Make sure to keep it easy and fun. Read to babies for short periods several times a day. As you read, point out things in the pictures. Name them as you point to them. Choose cardboard or cloth books with large, simple pictures of things babies like. You will be helping that child on her way to becoming a successful reader.

This information is from a free publication called “Helping Your Child Become a Reader” from the U.S. Department of Education Office of Intergovernmental and Interagency Affairs, Washington, D.C. You can request copies of this excellent publication by calling toll-free 1-877-433-7827 or e-mail edpubs@inet.ed.gov.

Source: Provider News & Views, July/August/September 2003 issue.
Permission to include here granted by Child Care Resource & Referral of Northeast Iowa.