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| Use books to interact with your child |
It is important to spend time with your
child sharing books. Children can concentrate and do
listen to you and pay attention to pictures in books. If a parent is
looking at a book with the child and talking about the doggy, kitty, or
truck, and if the experience is repeated often enough, he/she will learn to
touch and name the pictures. Songs and Nursery Rhyme books with clear
illustrations or photographs are also valuable starting points. With infants it might be looking at animals and trying to make their sounds, or finding the bird or dog in the picture. Nursery rhymes are especially valuable because they present rhyming language which is easily remembered. Your youngster can then continue to sing the rhyme for days after, and so reinforce the patterns of language which will be built upon in later years. Bedtime provides the ideal opportunity not only to spend a little time with your children but also to make it 'quality' time by reading a book. Older pre-schoolers love traditional folktales and fairy tales. The secret is in making it a happy time, following the child's interest, and keeping the sessions short. |