Reading Is Your Child's Window to the World

There is no learning skill in the world more essential than reading. It makes possible so much of what we take for granted in daily life: picking up a newspaper or a magazine, reading a document at work, following a traffic sign, reading a food package. Moreover, research shows that children who read well by the end of third grade have much higher chances for later success, including staying in school, having more job options, and staying out of trouble.

You, as a parent, can help make that happen. Experts agree that parents and families have the most power when it comes to helping and encouraging a young child to read. Here are a few suggestions:

• Read aloud to and with your child, from infancy onward, for 30 minutes a day. This is an important way of introducing children to language.
  
  
• Talk with infants and toddlers, every day, before they learn to read. Use short, simple sentences. Your child will be that much farther ahead with words.
  
  
• Know how to recognize different stages in your child's understanding of words. He or she should begin to make short sentences by 24 months; listen well to stories by 36 months; recognize some printed letters and numbers by three or four years of age; know the alphabet by kindergarten; and be able to read children's books by third grade.
  
  
• Keep books nearby. Have a special place in your home for reading. Make reading a normal part of your home life.
  
  
• Encourage your child to read both fiction and nonfiction. Your child should read not just for pleasure, but for information and understanding.
  
  
• Discuss schoolwork and reading every day with your child. Parent involvement really does make a difference.
  
  
• Limit your child's TV watching. Monitor what your child does on the computer, especially when it comes to games and chat rooms.
  
  
• Visit the library with your child and help him or her to pick out books. The librarian can help you as well.
  
  
• Give books to your child as gifts, and as rewards for something well done. Ask family and friends to do the same.
  
  
• Ask for help! There are many, many resources for parents about reading on the web. One of the best is America Reads, which offers free booklets, tips and other help for parents. Your community may also have local resources. Ask teachers and librarians for suggestions.