Help your child learn to read!!

For those of you who don't know, I am an elementary school teacher. Well, not right this minute, but I did teach 2nd grade for 3 years before I put my career on hold to rear my children full time. (I do plan on going back some day, by the way.)

Much of second grade is spent learning to read or at least learning to read harder books than you could before. Anyway, I spent A LOT of time working with kids on their reading skills, so I might do a few posts on the importance of reading/school readiness. Please humor me.

I'd like to start off by saying that the NUMBER ONE thing that you can do to prep your child for school/reading is...dum, da da DUUUUUMM... READING OUT LOUD TO THEM!!

That should be pretty self explanitory, right?

BUT, when you read to them, make sure that you take the time to stop and talk about the pictures, ask them questions, have them make predictions, have them retell you the story, point at the words as you read, discuss vocabulary words that they are not familiar with etc. etc. These kinds of activities make the reading time EVEN MORE valuable.

If you read to your child on a regular basis, they will learn to associate reading with the positive feelings of your love for them, and they will be MUCH more likely to ENJOY reading.

Here's the equation:

you reading to kid=kid enjoying books/reading

kid's enjoyment=kid reading individually during free time (practice)

kid's practice=kid becomes a better reader

a good reader=someone who has a headstart in school (and life for that matter)

Now I will get off my high horse for a minute to tell you about some products that have assisted me in helping my 2 year old learn his ABC's and the sounds that the letters make.

LEAP FROG

First, I purchased this. It focuses just on the letters and their sounds.

Maybe a year later I purchased this. They can spell simple words and the toy can assist them in finding the right letter and sounding the word out.

Okay, I don't know why this picture turned out sideways, but these Leap Frop movies are marvelous!!! The letter factory really solidifies the letters and sounds. The word factory explains the vowels and how letters work together to form words.

I'm not huge on TV for small children, but these videos I love. Really try them out. It has helped my little guy so much. I really feel confident that he will be more than prepared to start school in a couple of years.