Cuddle up with your child and enter the world of a story. Books are brain boosters. The more your child is read to from the very start, the more his brain will grow and language will develop. Here are some tips to help you enjoy sharing a story together.
Storytime Strategies
Make connections.
Tie the story to your family’s experiences (“Oh, look, the boy in the picture has a balloon. Remember when you and your sister got balloons at the block party?”).
Bring the story to life.
Use different voices for each character. Act out scenes with body movements or sound effects. You can simplify the reading in any way that feels right, such as talking more slowly.
Get to know books.
Help your child explore the difference between the front and back covers of a book. Help her to tell whether a book is upside down. And point out how you read the story from left to right with your finger.
Book break!
Visit the library (and Book Harvest!) often. Even make a quick stop between errands. Most libraries have books even for the littlest readers. And they might offer a weekly story or singing time for kids.
Read everything around you.
Print is everywhere, not just in books. Together, notice and read signs, cereal boxes, letters that come in the mail, menus, ads on the side of buses, and so on.
*These tips came from Talking is Teaching.