Get Children Excited About Reading!
By Jane Girondo, FCPL Early Literacy Assistant
Reading, writing, playing, talking and singing get young children excited about books and reading. This positive attitude — called print motivation — lays the foundation needed to support and encourage learning. Once children enjoy hearing books read aloud, it becomes easier to help them learn early literacy skills, and they enter school ready to read and write.
Get children excited about books and learning to read:
- Keep early literacy activities enjoyable: No worksheets!
- Act silly — read with expression and enthusiastically chant rhymes, sing songs and play games.
- Read books children want to hear. Don’t forget to include nonfiction!
- Engage children in conversations about what they are reading and learning.
- Remember that Fairfax County Public Library wants to help. Visit your neighborhood branch for book recommendations and other library resources designed to support your efforts in getting children ready to read.
- Talk about the letters and words you see every day: STOP on the stop sign. The big yellow M on McDonalds. The name of the grocery store.
- Learn about the letters in the names of family members. Have your child trace those letters and say the names of these important people.
All these activities helps your child be excited about learning to read. More resources are available online.