March is designated as National Reading Month to motivate Americans of all ages to make reading a priority!
Most of us are familiar with the research revealing how important it is to read with children every day. And most of us have every intention of doing that. However, daily life, with all its tasks and distractions can get in the way of realizing our best intentions. Therefore, purposefully, scheduling time to read with your child is one of the most valuable things you can do as a parent. There are many reasons why reading with your child is so critical:
Let’s explore how reading with your child helps to develop their vocabulary, which is the amount of words a child knows and understands in oral language. A large oral vocabulary is the foundation of ongoing language and literacy development. Reading books aloud exposes your child to all kinds of words, including spicy words. Spicy words are new, interesting, rich, and increasingly complex words.
Here are some tips for how to promote vocabulary development while reading with your child:
Infants:
Toddlers:
Twos:
Preschool/Pre-K:
School-Age:
Happy Reading! Visit Reading is Fundamental at rif.org for some additional information and ideas to spice up your own at-home story time!