Did you know…

Children get ready to read long before they start school. Research shows that the first five years of life are critical to a child’s future success.

You can help your young child to be ready to learn to read… starting at birth. Share these activities together:

Talking helps them learn new words and information. Talk and listen to your child as you prepare meals, do household chores, get ready for bed or whenever you are together.

Singing is a natural way for them to learn about language. Sing and play music for your child.

Reading together is the single most important way to help. Have books within easy reach. Visit the library and find books to make reading fun. Show them how important reading is by reading yourself.

Writing and scribbling helps them learn that written words stand for spoken language. Keep paper and crayons handy.

Playing helps them put thoughts into words and understand that spoken and written words stand for real objects and experiences. Encourage imaginative play by keeping a prop box with items for your child to use for pretend play.

Watch a short video demonstrating each of the activities.

500 by Five

Help your child read 500 books by age Five! Reading with your child helps them get read for school, increase their vocabulary, improve logical thinking, and more. See more information about 500 by Five and get started!

Explore these websites or ask your children’s librarian for more information about how you can help your little one be ready to read.

• Grow Up Reading
  As part of its Grow Up Reading™ initiative, the West Bloomfield Township Library (MI) offers information and activities about literacy and learning to help children, beginning at birth, grow into fluent readers.
• ABCMouse.com
  Free for St. Mary’s County Library customers to use inside the library, either on library computers or using the free library wifi. ABCmouse.com has a subscription fee for users outside of the library.
• Every Child Ready to Read
  The updated and expanded 2nd edition of Every Child Ready To Read incorporates simple practices, based on research, to help parents and other caregivers develop early literacy skills in children from birth to age five.
• Starting Out Right: A Guide to Promoting Children’s Reading Success
  This book by the National Research Council can be read or purchased online, or borrowed from the library.
• 500 by 5 Goodreads Page
  This Goodreads page can be used to find all sorts of books that will be appropriate for your child as they try to read 500 books by their fifth birthday.
• Watch a TEDx Talk from Dimitri Christakis, a pediatrician, parent, and researcher whose influential findings are helping identify optimal media exposure for children.