Creating an environment that encourages literacy is a great way to support children's reading skills and foster a love of reading! In honour of Family Literacy Day, January 27, let's explore some tips and tricks for encouraging early literacy development and raising a reader.
Talk about everything.
Talk about what you do as you cook, as you help your child get dressed, as you play, etc.
Make reading a routine.
Whether it's reading together every day or setting aside a specific time for reading, make reading a daily ritual at home. Children of any age can be read to, even newborns! Reading together every day will help develop their vocabulary as they grow. Children might enjoy reading out loud to the family pet or another family member.
Make reading easily accessible.
Placing books on low shelves, in baskets, or in a cozy reading area shows that reading is important and enjoyable! Make sure to visit us to stock up on books featuring topics your child likes.
Be a reading role model.
We all know children learn by example (whether you want them to or not). Let them see you reading your own books or picking out your next read from the library for pleasure. Once you are both reading your own books you can encourage them to share their thoughts about their books as you share yours.
Listen to Audiobooks
Audiobooks are a great way to introduce another format of books. Libby and hoopla have a great selection of eAudiobooks you can download and listen to on your next family road trip.
Read the Book, Watch the Movie
There are endless amounts of book to movie combinations that you can enjoy together and then discuss. Some great examples include Matilda, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, The Lightning Thief, Harry Potter, and so many more. Reading the book together is a great bonding activity before you watch the movie.
Introduce Comics & Graphic Novels
There are comics and graphic novels for every age. They can be quicker to read than a typical novel and many children will be more invested in the graphics included with the story. Finding a format that your child enjoys reading is important.
Attend Library Programs
From story times to just fun activities and crafts, literacy is an important component in our free library programs. Whether it's reading aloud to little readers or incorporating reading and writing into activities, we encourage fun and learning at our programs.
Most importantly, make reading enjoyable. Read books that you like and put down books that you can't get into. Our staff are always happy to share reading recommendations based on your likes and dislikes. All of these tips can help foster a love of reading in your household and hopefully create life-long readers.
-Nicole Andrews, Communications Coordinator
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