Teach My Baby To Read?!?

August 23, 2010

Perhaps like me, you've been captivated by impressive toddlers on TV, supposedly reading, using video methods. I say "supposedly" because, most child educators remind us that the amazing skill of reading is actually a group of skills. These "wonder kids" have actually only memorized certain words, and learned to skim over them without full comprehension, instead of learning to decode words and spell. They have started with a technique that will be difficult to correct later. Most often, these vendors only create misinformed parents and misguided children, and that irks me!

When asked, "When can I teach my baby to read?" Dr. Judith Hudson, Developmental Psychologist and Professor at Rutgers University replies, "The truth is, right now you really can't. Children usually don't start reading before the age of 5 or 6, and for good reason. Researchers believe that until that age, most children have not yet formed certain neural connections that allow them to decode printed letters and then mentally combine them to make words. A few children are able to read earlier, but most of them just pick it up, they don't learn through direct instruction."

A better question to ask is: What can I do to get my baby or toddler ready to read? Researchers have found that you can help your child be a future successful reader by:

1. Showing an excitement for books! Have fun reading to them, and sharing favorites again and again.

2. Notice print all around you. Recognize written language in its many forms, while in the car or at the grocery store, for example.

3. Talk, talk, talk. Reading a large variety of picture books together, also helps increase vocabulary.

4. Look for letters everywhere. Letter awareness involves beginning to notice the differences in upper and lower case letters, and recognizing

    each letter's shape.

5. Tell stories about everything. Narrative skill involves being able to tell about the beginning, middle, and end of a story.

6. Take time to rhyme. Sharing songs and rhymes helps children hear and play with the smaller sounds in words.

I would add a seventh suggestion for reading readiness: take your children to Storytime at the MCPL Smithville Branch. Our fall session starts September 13 and 14. Pre-school Storytime (ages 3-5) meets @10:30 am on Mondays, and @ 9:30 am on Tuesdays . Toddlertime (ages 18-36 mo.) meets @ 10:30 am on Tuesdays.

For more information about the subject of early literacy go to http://www.ala.org/everychild or www.earlylit.net.