READING TO PROMOTE LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT

Did you know that reading with young children promotes language development and literacy skills.  Reading can help children learn about the world around them, aid in language development, and boost literacy skills.  I love reading to children.  But I have also learned that it takes a little work from the adult to maximize these benefits, because not all children, even if they are close in age, like the same books.
  
How to Read with Kids to Promote Language Development!

Let the child lead! 
Children will be more interested in learning and talking about the items he/she is interested in.  So it’s important to observe, notice what the child is attending to, and then take the interaction from there.

Wait! 
This means stop talking, lean forward, and look at your child with interest.  By providing wait time, you are helping the child learn to initiate, develop turn-taking skills, and foster a sense that they are communicators with things to say.

Learn what type of communicator the child is!
When using books with children, it’s important to first consider at what stage they are at, what type of communicator are they?  I don't think it is too important to use ages on these stages,  I feel it’s most important to look at their abilities, and not age, when determining how to use books with your child.  

• Discoverers: earliest stage of communication, child responds to environment through crying, body movement, and facial expressions. For example, child may smile in response to seeing a familiar face.
• Communicators: communicate by looking at you, making gestures, pointing, and making sounds.
• First Words Users: imitate words they hear or begin to use words by themselves. Initially they say one word at a time using words that represent people, objects, and actions.
• Combiners: begins to use two-word combinations (i.e., “Want teddy.”)

Reading should be fun and relaxing for all children, let's keep it that way!  I know I will!