Reading is important in the lives of all children. Even at a very young age, children benefit from exposure to good books. Summer is a wonderful time to spark an interest in reading and to build early skills as your child prepares to enter kindergarten. 

The following ideas will help you get started:

¬∑        Talk about and point out letters in daily life. Rather than sitting down to teach your child the letters, introduce them as you go about your day. Talk about letters that you see as you are playing, riding in the car, or eating in a restaurant. This activity helps your child to see that letters are all around us.

¬∑        Show children the connection between reading and writing. Introduce writing with the child‚Äôs first and last name. You can also have your child help to print a grocery list or write a short letter to a friend.

¬∑        When you go on a trip or to a place that requires waiting, pack books about a topic that is of special interest to your child. Children will listen more attentively and find that they can learn new facts about something that they already love. Talk to them about new words that you encounter. By doing so, children will continue to build a strong vocabulary that will help with reading comprehension as they move through school.

¬∑        Make reading a daily family activity. Show your children that you also enjoy and learn from books. Young children pay close attention to those around them, and they become excited about the things that their family and friends like to do. Have an older sibling read with younger children.       

The three Educators at Child and Family Development can develop a summer reading plan for your kids.