It’s never too late to begin reading out loud to a child.
And there is probably no more important activity for preparing a child to
succeed as a reader.
So fill
your story times with a variety of books. Be consistent, be patient, and watch
the magic work.
Children
learn to love the actual sound of language long before they notice printed
words on a page.
Reading out
loud stimulates the imagination and expands a child’s world. The rhythm and
melody of language become a part of their lives, and ease the transition to
reading on their own.
Read
stories that children find interesting but are beyond their own reading level.
This way, you help them stretch their understanding and inspire them to improve
their own skills.
Usually
some time after age four, children begin to recognize words on a page. It can
begin when a child recognizes a fast-food logo, or the brand on a cereal
box.
Something
“clicks” in a young mind, and children can look at a book and understand that
the lines are words. With that, they begin to decode the mystery of written
language.
Be sure to
have patience with young readers. Once the basic concept of reading takes hold,
it’s usually full steam ahead.
The bottom
line is that children who are often read to usually grow to love books.
