The Most Important 20 Minutes A Day

Because:

• Children who read, succeed! The most important skill learned between the ages of 3 and 7 is the ability to imagine. In addition, books play a vital role in the development of verbal language.
• TV and video are now our national babysitters. But, a young child's growing mind needs active play and live conversation just as much as a body needs exercise. Books boost the imagination in a way TV can't. Try limiting your family's TV time.
• Books open a world of wonders to child and parent alike. Learning from read-aloud stories is learning that sticks because the mind is active and at work.

• Much like tobacco and cholesterol, early studies now link overdoses of TV, video games and pop music with learning disabilities, attention deficiency, speech defects and aggressive behavior.

• Nothing is more restful after a tough day than reading with a child in your lap. Mom or Dad feels happy. Children calm down. Reading aloud offers a private world of peace and love. Readers are leaders.

"The Most Important 20 Minutes of Your Day" is a literacy support program of the Association of Booksellers for Children endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics

Reading Checklist


There are many ways that you can encourage your child to become a reader. Here are some questions that you can ask yourself to make sure that you are keeping on track:


For Babies (6 weeks to 1 year)

• Do I provide a comfortable place for our story time? Is my child happy to be in this place?
• Am I showing my child the pictures in the book? Am I changing the tone of my voice as I read to show emotion and excitement?
• Am I paying attention to how my child responds? What does she especially like? Is she tired and ready to stop?

 

For Toddlers (1 to 3 years) All of the questions above, plus:

Does my child enjoy the book we are reading?

• Do I encourage my child to "pretend read," joining in where he has memorized a word or phrase?
• When I ask questions, am I giving my child enough time to think and answer?
• Do I tie ideas in the book to things that are familiar to my child? Do I notice if he does this on his own?
• Do I let my child know how much I like his ideas and encourage him to tell me more?
• Do I point out letters, such as the first letter of his name?

 

For Preschoolers (3 and 4 years)

All of the questions above, plus:

Do I find ways to help my child begin to identify sounds and letters and to make letter-sound matches?

 

For Kindergartners (5 years) All of the questions above, plus:

Do I find ways to help my child begin to identify some printed words?

• Do I let my child retell favorite stories to show that she knows how the story develops and what's in it?

 

For Beginning First-Graders (6 years) All of the questions above, plus:

Do I give my child the chance to read a story to me using the print, picture clues, his memory-or any combination of these ways that help him make sense of the story?

 

Source - Helping Your Child Become a Reader, US Dept. of Education