Ressources for families

February 2011
Simple strategies for nurturing
kids who are strong readers
Without doubt, reading with your children spells success for early literacy. Here are a few simple strategies that will make a big difference in helping your child become a good reader and writer. By reading aloud, sharing print materials, and promoting positive attitudes about reading and writing, you can have a powerful impact on your child’s literacy and learning.
• Invite your children to read with you every day.
• When reading a book where the print is large, point word by word as you read. This will help children learn that reading goes from left to right and understand that the word they say is the word they see.
• Read your children’s favorite books over and over again.
• Read stories with rhyming words and lines that repeat. Invite children to join in on these parts. Point, word by word, as children read along with you.
• Talk about new words. For example, “This big house is called a palace. Who do you think lives in a palace?”
• Stop and ask about the pictures and about what is happening in the story.
• Read from a variety of children’s books, including fairy tales, song books, poems, and information books.
Reading is at the heart of learning. Children who read well can learn. Make a difference for your children.