In a reading rut? Texas experts give parents tips for reading with their children
It’s never too early to start reading at home with young children. Here’s how parents can be part of their child’s journey of reading and language development.
Young children whose parents read five books a day to them enter kindergarten hearing almost 1.4 million more words than children who were never read to, according to a 2019 study published by the Journal of Development & Behavioral Pediatrics. Reading on grade level by third grade is a major predictor of success for the rest of a child’s academic journey and future career. Early literacy experts in Texas have several tips to help cultivate literacy, and it goes beyond reading books.
For children who haven’t reached pre-K or kindergarten age yet, reading will look informal. Books don’t need to be finished every time since the child’s attention span is still growing, said Stephanie Al Otaiba, professor of teaching and learning at Southern Methodist University’s school of education and human development.
“Even kids who hear one book a day are going to be exposed to about 290,000 more words by age 5 than children who aren’t regularly read to,” Al Otaiba said. “I think the idea of reading to your children is to kind of instill a love of reading. It’s not for the parent to be a teacher or feeling like they need to teach their kids how to pay attention, or it needs to be a formal routine. I think it can be very joyful and fun.”
Reading books isn’t the only way to develop early literacy skills, though, said Iliana Alanís, a professor of early childhood and elementary education at the University of Texas at San Antonio.
Alanís stresses the value of talking to children during daily activities like cooking meals or driving in the car. Especially for infants, toddlers and preschoolers, this helps them develop the vocabulary they could encounter in books later on.
“I think that what parents need to understand is that talking with their child throughout the day in their primary language is the biggest predictor for later reading success,” she said.
Singing songs, too, helps children hear rhythm, rhyme and syllables they’ll be seeing in texts. Reading stop signs, exit signs or identifying business logos while driving also shows children that print carries meaning, Alanís said.
Books can be used as a support for having conversations, engaging and building a love for learning, according to Al Otaiba. As children grow older and are exposed to more books, it’s important to read about topics they’re interested in, such as characters like Thomas the Tank Engine.
An article published by the National Association for the Education of Young Children also encourages parents to find books that reflect their child’s daily experiences and reread their favorites. Storytelling, in the context of a book or in general, is also encouraged to help children build their narrative and sequencing skills.
Both Texas experts recommend parents avoid making reading time a chore. Parents can cultivate excitement around reading by using sock puppets as props, for example. Al Otabia recommends parents explore reading events at the public library, too.
“When parents or families sit down with children to read, then it needs to be interactive. So it’s not like I’m just reading to you, but we’re reading this together,” Alanís said. “I’m going to ask questions like, ‘What do you think’s gonna happen next?’ or ‘How do you think he feels?’ We can talk about the pictures, or I can connect it to something that they’ve already done.”
Alanís also encouraged parents to focus on how print works by running their fingers under the words from left to right, so children learn that reading is done from left to right.
“I’m going to run my finger under the words so that they see what I’m looking at because I need that joint attention. I can point out letters while I’m reading like, ‘Look, there’s an ‘M’ just like the one in your name, Michael,’” she said.
The following parent guides are recommended by Al Otaiba:
- Reading Rockets: Reading with Your Child
- Reading Rockets: Reading Tips for Parents in Multiple Languages
- Parents: Start Reading to Your Baby Now: A Step-by-Step Guide for Every Age
