Getting a Jump on Literacy

1 Talk with your kids:

Children pick up quickly on the sounds and rhythms of language. Keep the banter going. It will help them grasp the rudiments of conversation. * Provide a running commentary on both your activities and your child’’s. * Follow up on what your child says. * Recite rhymes, repeating your child’’s favorites.

2 Read with them everyday

Reading to kids boosts their knowledge and vocabulary. It introduces them to the mechanics of literacy –– like turning pages and reading from left to right. *Pick a regular reading time when stories can be enjoyed at a relaxed, unhurried pace. Research by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development has concluded that a family ritual of bedtime stories “rewire” children’s brains to not only speed up their mastery of language but also boost their logic abilities while actually lowering their stress levels.* Take books along on errands. * Make sure Mom’’s not doing all the work. Boys who associate reading with women might dismiss it as a ““girl thing.””

3 Choose your books wisely:

Find books on subjects that interest them –– they’’ll enjoy reading more. * Get them involved in choosing their books. * Find books related to current events in their lives, such as on starting school or about a recent vacation destination.

4 Surround your child with books:

Children love having familiar stories nearby that they can go back to again and again. * You can find cheap, used books at yard sales, thrift stores and library sales. * Consider subscribing to a children’’s magazine. This way your child has something to look forward to in the mail every month. * Make sure they see you reading.

5 Slow down and enjoy reading aloud:

Don’’t just drone along. Kids pick up on boredom and lose interest quickly. Add some drama to your voice, act out different characters and put yourself into the story. * Pose questions about the story, and follow up on theirs. * Pause here and there so kids have time to