Diane comments in “Baby & Toddler” Spring+Summer 2012 “RAISE A READER”

Here are some suggestions made by Diane W. Frankenstein, author of the award-winning book. Reading Together: Everything You Need To Know To Raise A Child Who Loves to Read (Penguin)

 “SET YOUR CHILD UP FOR SUCCESS IN SCHOOL (AND LIFE) BY INSPIRING HIM TO LOVE BOOKS.”

~ Make reading to your child a daily routine

~ Choose age appropriate books for your child in terms of their readiness to understand the story.

~ Build a child’s vocabulary. The skills children need to enter school, ready to be successful learners, is directly tied to their vocabulary. Reading and talking to your child is the best way to ensure children enter school with a rich vocabulary which is the key to literacy.

~ Many of the benefits of reading aloud are lost without the verbal interaction between a child and an adult during reading time. Children learn language though face-to-face interaction.

~ How many books you read your child is less important that how many conversations you have about the books you read.

~ In addition to the many benefits of reading aloud, the most important outcome might be the closeness you establish with your child and the habit you establish of reading a book and talking about the story. In our fast paced, media saturated world, thoughtful conversations are more important than ever before.