Dear CDA Families,
September is National Literacy Month. With school schedules in place and changes in season, we invite you to engage in quality family time celebrating the magic of reading. Promoting National Literacy Month at home is a great way to instill a love for reading and learning in your child.
According to Child Mind Institute, research has found that young children whose parents read to them daily have been exposed to at least 290,000 more words by the time they enter kindergarten than kids who aren’t read to regularly. Furthermore, research shows that children who are proficient in reading by the end of third grade are more likely to achieve higher educational outcomes and success in adulthood.
Here are some creative and engaging ideas to promote reading and celebrate National Literacy Month.
Family reading time:
Reading together as a family provides countless benefits that go beyond literacy. Incorporating family reading time into a regular routine can have a lasting impact on your child’s development and overall well-being for your family. Reading is a great time to interact with your child. Designate a cozy reading space at home and schedule some daily family reading time.
Creative storytelling:
Encourage your child’s creativity by asking them to use the pictures in a book to create their own stories. Encourage your child to be the storyteller. As you read together, make funny sounds or change your voice to go along with the story.
Library visits:
Visit your local library together to check out books and learn about other programs that are offered, such as Storytime, STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) programs, reading challenges, and so on.
Puzzles and games:
Challenge your child with word puzzles, crosswords, and board games that revolve around books and language.
Book related crafts:
After reading a book, encourage your child to talk about the story and create an art project that is inspired by the book. This can include drawings, bookmarks, puppets, paper plate character masks, and so on.
Book swap:
Invite friends and family to participate in a book swap. Everyone can exchange books they have already read to allow children to discover new stories.
New words:
Books introduce new words. Select books in your home language that focus on different topics, such as family, friendship, animals, shapes, science, etc. This is a great way to expose children to a variety of new words and helps them increase their vocabulary.
Create a dialogue:
Books provide a great opportunity for back-and-forth interaction. Talk to your child about the story you are reading or the pictures in the book. Ask them to predict, analyze, and offer solutions. This helps with building language and critical thinking skills.
Role model:
As I always say, parents are their children’s first and most important teacher. Children learn from their parents. If they see you reading, they will want to imitate you and learn to read as well.
Bonding time:
There is nothing more rewarding than cuddling and spending quality time with your child while reading a good book. My adult children always say that their fondest early childhood memories were times together reading and telling stories.
Remember, the goal is to make reading a fun and important part of your child’s daily routine. By incorporating these activities, you’ll be promoting a lifelong love for reading and learning in your children.
Resources:
Child Mind Institute: Why Is It Important to Read to Your Child?
The Importance of Reading to Your Children
Read It Again! Benefits of Reading to Young Children
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