I titled this post with the hope of casting a wide net and pulling in some mamas of toddlers and preschool aged children curious how to "get ahead" on teaching their hild to read, but also for parents of older children interested in improving literacy skills and inspiring a love of literature!
If you have a child under the age of seven who is not reading yet, don't fret! I NEVER taught my eight year old sons to read and they've been avid readers since the age of five and now read better than most midde schoolers How? Keep reading...
I talked to my boys as newborn babies the same way I talked to adults. I greeted them with a "Good Morning" song, asked them about their dreams, told them my hopes for our day, explained how I was preparing meals, packing bags, and even shared my thoughts with them while driving as though I had a friend in the car. Partially this was because I was a single mom of twins lonely as all hell and thought speaking out loud with someone 9
anyone) would prevent insanity, or at the very least being the stay-at-home mom who overshared with the mailman, but nevertheless my boys are highly verbal and the language part of their brain is hyperdeveloped.
I read to them once they "went live" around 2-4 months old. I chose simple, classic stories that could be read with a regular speaking voice and featured muted tones, high-contrast illustrations such as Harold and the Purple Crayon or The Big Hungry Bear and the Red Ripe Strawberry. In fact, if memory serves me we read together 2-3 times a day.
Around the crawling age (6-9m) we began regular outings for high-sensory engagement without overstimulation to promote healthy neurodevelopment and we continued these types of activities well into their toddler years. Things like Music Together classes, Gymboree, baby yoga, puppet shows at the library, and lots and lots and lots of time in nature! I can hear you through the computer, "How will this help my child read?" Reading starts with healthy brain development.
Healthy brain development happens when children have low stimulation, but high sensory input aka no tech, high play. Healthy development also requires high protein, high mineral, low sugar, low processed foods. Those "educational" games you downloaded on your ipad for your toddler actually hinder development and work against your goals.
By the way, I also never taught my boys their ABCs and never sang the alphabet song in our school, Epoch, for the other students. Why? because the alphabet song is crap and doesn't help with reading. In fact, most young kids have no clue that it's "L-M-N-O-P", five separate letters being referenced instead of "elemenopee". And, teaching a child "B" and helping them recognize B and b won't help with reading either. "B" makes "buh" but also says nothing sometimes. Try reading "comb" or "tomb" with your three year old after teaching the letter "b" and tell me it doesn't end in a tandtrum, LOL!
So, what helps? What do I do?
Read often to them, for them, with them
Do NOT attemp sounding things out- this leads to frustration
Read side-by-side
Read a morning book, read before naps, read at naptime
Read as an adult and talk about what you're reading with your child
Have books in the car, in backackpacks, purses, on shelves
Bring books to restaurants (NO ipads, I beg of you)
Play "I Spy" in the car and move from I Spy the letter (blank) to I Spy the word...
Write lists for the grocery store, write lists "to-do" today, write lists of favorite books, foods, animals, places to visit...this helps kids see words have meaning and purpose
Write stories together
Play Hangman, Word Searches, crossword puzzles, board games (read rules together)
Take a trip to the library together every week!
"A room without books is like a body without a soul' -Thomas Jefferson
What should my child be reading? I'm going to give you the Waldorf-y response here, but most traditional Waldorf schools do not have books for children younger than grade 1
Baby-age 5: Books by Elsa Beskow, Sybil Von Olfer, Courduroy, The Big Hungry Bear and the Red Ripe Strawberry, Gerda Muller's "Nature Stories", Jan Brett's Hedgie books, Stone Soup, Grimm's fairy tales
5-7y old: Fatima, the Clementine Thief, Namaste by Diana Cohn, Magic Treehouse series, Grimm's fairy tales, The Windboy, Sun Egg by Elsa Beskow, folk tales from around the world, Aesop's fables
7-9y: The Wind in the Willows, A Little Princess, Pinnochio, Treasure Island, The Bridge to Tarabithia, Roald Dahl books, Pollyanna, Great Starts classics, mythology (Indian, Greek, Celtic)
I've always allowed my boys to follow their own interests when it came to choosing books. They often are reading a classic, a fiction piece and have a giant pile of non-fiction books based on whatever they're curious about and then I choose a book for read-aloud that's a historical fiction or possibly an unabridged classic that may be a little heavy and require more concentration for a budding reader. But, there are some books I put my foot down over no matter how much ruckus is caused. I will NOT allow girl drama, name calling, Disney or woke culture, political agenda pushing, or weak sauce modern garbage like Captain Underpants, Pete the Cat, or RL Stine. I feel it weakens the reader to read fluff. It's like choosing Cheetohs over filet mignon- it may taste good at the moment, but the experience doesn't last and your body is served so much better with the steak.
Let me know what your child is reading! I'd love to hear about a new series or author that's caught your child's interest! Happy reading!
Chelsea
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