Family Literacy Nights - Texas Association for the Education of ...

10 Ways to Help Your Young Child Read and Write1. Use your child’s interests as a guide.Encourage your child where he/she is in his/her stage of development.(Ex: Do they like to paint, work puzzles, play with playdoh, build with blocks? Give them this opportunity.)Forcing a young child to write, cut with scissors, or read at too early an age produces frustration,boredom (especially as they get older) and even failure as most young children do not have the muscledevelopment or fine motor control necessary for this skill yet.2. Read to your child daily.It is especially important to read books they are interested in and have selected even if you’ve read themmany times before. Include a wide variety of materials: books, magazines, newspaper, shopping lists, mail,signs in the environment, menus, recipes, etc.3. Let your child dictate stories to you.Write down their stories. They can illustrate the story by drawing a picture, too.It is very important that children see that spoken words can become printed words.4. Write your child’s name on large card or paper.Have them trace name with glue and sprinkle with glitter or cover with yarn.(You can even use jello powder to create a smelly name card.)5. Encourage your child to act out or retell favorite stories.They especially enjoy acting out nursery rhymes, fairy tales, and stories they have written.6. Play a board game or card game with your child.This provides a ready-made reading opportunity.Reading the directions and game components with your child helps develop skills while having fun.7. Check It Off.By making a chart of your child’s responsibilities and daily activities, you can help establish routines andread together, too. Have your child read and check off each activity as it is done.8. Family MemoriesWhen your child receives a special card or other momento, suggest making a memory scrapbook. Haveyour child ~read the scrapbook to you each time you add a new keepsake.A scrapbook of your child’s years at Head Start would be a great way to start!9. Pet CareIf your child is interested in a pet, suggest reading together about that animal.You might also read the directions on pet care products.10.It’s More Than a DateHow often does your child ask what day it is or how long until his/her birthday? Establish a dailyreading habit by reading the calendar together. Better yet, make a personal calendar and fill it in withfamily birthdays and other special events. Counting down to special occasions will help develop mathskills as well.There’s no better reason for reading together than reading for fun!!Sharing a good story is a great way to end your day!!