Part 2: Activities
For Developing Reading Skills In Your Preschooler
Books and Babies - For Babies From Age 6
Weeks to 1 Year
Sharing the joys of books with
your baby is a way to have
fun with him and to start him on the road to becoming a
strong reader.
If you are not sure what kind of
books may be appropriate for babies/preschoolers, see my two
articles: How To Choose
Books For Your Preschooler and
Preschool Reading List/ Booklist.
Once you have selected the right
book for your baby and begin reading to him, he will soon
recognize the face and voices of the one who cares for him the
most.
As you read to your baby, he will
begin to connect books with what he loves most—your voice and
closeness. And this is a very important step in building
strong reading skills in you toddler.
It won't be long before baby will
be letting you know what his/her favorite books is.
General Preschool Activities
What You Will Need:
Cardboard or cloth books with large, simple pictures of things
with which babies are familiar Lift-the-flap, touch-and-feel,
or peek-through play books. Many of the books that you will
see displayed throughout this site have been carefully
selected for babies/preschoolers.
Please feel free to click on any
of the links available throughout this site for books that may
be of interest to you.
For suggestions, see:
How To Choose Books For
Your Preschooler and
Preschool Reading List/ Booklist.
What to Do
1) Read to your baby for short periods several times a day.
Bedtime is always a good time, but you can read at other times
as well—while you’re in the park, on the bus, or even at the
breakfast table (without the food!).
2) As you read, point out things in the pictures. Name them as
you point to them.
3) Give your baby sturdy books to look at, touch, and hold.
Allow him to peek through the holes or lift the flaps to
discover surprises.
4) Do things that interest your baby. Vary your tone of voice,
make funny faces, sing lullabies, and recite simple nursery
rhymes. Play “peek-a-boo” and “pat-a-cake” with her.
Preschool Activity: And Now About Books
Children first learn to read from books. It is important for
children to know how books "work."
What you'll need:
A storybook appropriate for your child's level. For suggestions, see:
How To Choose Books For
Your Preschooler and
Preschool Reading List/ Booklist.
What to do:
Show the book to your child and talk about what a book is.
"I'm going to read this book to you. As you can see, it has
words and pictures in it. Some books have make-believe stories
in them. Other books tell us about real life."
Then show your child that books are made up of words. "I can
read this book to you because the words (point to them) tell
me what to say. When you read, you say these words out loud or
to yourself."
Then show how books are read. "When we read a book, we start
at the front of the book (point to the front) and we read
through to the end of the book (thumb through all the pages
until you are finished with the book)."
Preschool Activity: Stories Come to Life
Reading stories is important, but creating and acting out a
story makes it come to life. This activity will keep children
interested as they listen to stories.
What you'll need:
A book or story that is familiar to your child, and room to
move about.
What to do:
Select a story that your child knows. Tell your child that you
will read the story out loud. As you read, find one word such
as HOPPED, and say it in a loud voice. Ask your child to act
out the "loud" word when he hears it (by hopping).
You may then choose words to say loudly that show emotions
("John was SAD"), or words that are nouns ("Bart saw a DOG" or
"The LEAF fell to the ground"), or words that show action
("The leaf FELL to the ground").
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