National Young Readers Week
A Guide to Creative and Enjoyable Ways to Enhance Your Child’s Literacy Development.
By Megan Willis, Director of Communications
In the exciting journey of your child’s literacy development, fostering language skills can be a joyous and fulfilling experience. From storytelling to interactive games, the key is to make learning a fun and natural part of everyday life. Here’s a guide that explores creative and enjoyable ways to enhance your child’s language abilities and create a strong foundation for their academic success.
- Storytelling Adventures:
- Encourage your child to weave tales, whether real or make-believe.
- Play “I Spy” during car rides to enhance observational and descriptive skills.
- Singing songs together helps children learn new words through rhyme and rhythm.
- Print Awareness at Home:
- Label objects around the house with index cards to introduce print awareness.
- Develop an understanding that letters form words, and words convey meaning.
- Picture Walks:
- Before reading a book, take a picture walk to pique your child’s interest.
- Ask questions based on the pictures to stimulate curiosity and predictions.
- Daily Reading Rituals:
- Bond with your child through daily reading sessions.
- Let them choose their favorite book and blanket for a cozy reading experience.
- Read with expression, using different voices for characters, and discuss new vocabulary.
- Counting Words:
- Introduce counting words as an early literacy skill.
- Have your child clap for each word in a sentence, gradually moving from short to longer sentences.
- Tactile Learning:
- Connect learning with touch using materials like shaving cream or salt to write letters or words.
- Engage in blending sounds to create words.
- Learning through Shopping:
- Involve your child in grocery shopping to highlight that words are all around us.
- Create fun activities like finding items on a list or drawing their own list.
- Word-of-the-Day Game:
- Make learning words exciting with a “Word of the Day” game.
- Encourage using the word throughout the day for reinforcement.
Embrace the journey of nurturing your child’s literacy skills, making every learning moment a delightful and engaging experience. Through these creative and interactive approaches, you not only foster academic success but also create lasting bonds and a lifelong love for learning. Happy reading!
For more tips like these, download the Louisiana Reads! App in the app store on your phone or by visiting https://www.lareads.org/. Our Louisiana Reads! Program visits communities all over the state to help educators, provide age appropriate books for students, and host family literacy events to promote familial engagement. To donate a book or help this program visit https://mycll.org/donate/, or join our “Book-A-Month Club” by making a recurring donation of $10 each month.
Megan Willis
Director of Communications
megan@mycll.org
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