Simple Things

Families and Child Care Providers Can Do to Help

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Source

U.S Department of Education

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Simple Things Families Can Do to Help

1. Read to and with your children for 30 minutes every day. It is very important to read out loud to your children before they start school. Help your children to read with you. Ask them to find letters and words on the page and talk with your children about the story.
   
   
2. Talk with infants and young children before they learn to read. Talk with your children all day long, using short, simple sentences. Talking with them even before they can speak will help them later when they learn to read and write.
   
   
3. Help your children to read on their own. Reading at home helps children do better in school. Have lots of children's books in your home and visit the library every week. Help your children get their own library cards and let them pick out their own books.
   
   
4. If your child has a developmental delay, your child may find reading frustrating. Have books on tape in your home. Borrow or buy a tape player that is easy to work. If you cannot find recordings of your child's favorite books, you or a family member could make recordings of them for your child to listen to while looking at the books.
   
   
5. Help your child to see that reading is important. Suggest reading as a free-time activity. Make sure your children have time in their day to read. Set a good example for your children by reading newspapers, magazines, and books.
   
   
6. Set up a reading area in your home. Keep books that interest your children in places where they can easily reach them. As your children become better readers, make sure that you add harder books to your collection.
   
   
7. Give your children writing materials. Children want to learn how to write and to practice writing. Help them learn by having paper, pencils, pens, or crayons for them in your home. Help your children write if they ask you. If your child has a special learning or physical need, regular pens and pencils may not be the best choice. Ask your pediatrician or people who work with your child at school or at the child care center to suggest other writing materials your child can use.
   
   
8. Read and write with your children in their native language. Practicing their first language will help your children learn to read and write English.
   
   
9. Talk with your children as you do daily activities together. When you take your children places, talk with them about what you are doing and ask them questions. If your child cannot hear, use whatever form of communication your child usually uses.
   
   
10. Ask your children to describe events in their lives. Talking about their experiences makes children think about them. Giving detailed descriptions and telling complete stories also helps children learn about how stories are written and what the stories they read mean.
    
    
11. Restrict the amount and kind of TV your children watch. Watch educational TV programs with your children that teach letter sounds and words or give information about nature and science.
    
    
12. Keep track of your children's progress in school. Visit your children's classrooms to learn how your children are doing in school and how you can help your children become better students. Ask about the school's reading program and where your children need help.
    
    
13. Become a learning partner/reading tutor to a child in your neighborhood or from your local elementary school. Volunteer to read with or to a child for 30 minutes a week for at least eight weeks. Take the child to the library to get him or her a library card.
    
    
14. Help start a community reading program. A good way to begin is to help set up an America Reads Challenge: READ*WRITE*NOW! program. Offer to volunteer as a reading tutor or serve as a community contact/coordinator for the program. Call 1-800-USA-LEARN for America Reads Challenge: READ*WRITE*NOW! materials.
    
    

Simple Things Child Care Providers Can Do to Help

1. Read to infants even before they are able to talk. Make books part of your one-on-one time with babies. Although they don't always understand exactly what you are saying, babies love to listen to voices. Over time, babies will associate pleasant feelings with books and reading.
   
   
2. Set up a reading area. Create a colorful or cozy space where children can read or you can read to them. Make sure the area is well lit and that interesting books are placed where children can easily see and reach them. Include books for children with special needs. The space does not need to be very large. It is more important that it is well defined and that children feel comfortable using it. Plan time when children can look at books on their own.
   
   
3. Read to children every day. Read with small groups, share illustrations, and change your voice to make stories come to life. Also, read one-on-one with children when they ask you to or when you want to share a book. Use these times to encourage children to talk about the story and characters and to share their ideas.
   
   
4. Encourage volunteers to read with children. Identify children who need extra help in reading and contact volunteer groups at nearby colleges, high schools, community organizations, religious groups, businesses, or senior centers. Include children with special needs. In addition to reading with volunteers, children can draw pictures about the characters in the book or make up stories of their own. After listening to the child's story, volunteers might print or type the story for the child to keep.
   
   
5. Read with children about their native culture. Children often respond well to stories about their own cultures. This practice also exposes other children to cultures different from their own. In addition, offer books without words so children can make up their own stories to go with the pictures.
   
   
6. Encourage families to read with children. Support family reading times by allowing children to borrow books overnight or for a few days. Sign up for programs that provide free or inexpensive reading materials. Also, encourage families who speak languages other than English to read with their children in their native language. This will help children learn to write and read English as well.
   
   
7. Teach children rhymes, songs, and poems. Make up stories about children in the group and include their names in familiar songs. Ask families to help you learn songs, poems, and stories in the children's home languages.
   
   
8. Talk with young children about their own lives. Make a special effort to talk with infants and babies. Responding to their cooing and babbling as if you understand them helps them learn about language. As children grow older, encourage them to join you in conversation and be interested in what they have to say. Giving details, descriptions, and telling stories not only helps children learn how stories are written and what they mean, but it also builds vocabulary and communication skills. Do not focus on correcting grammar; instead, model correct grammar yourself.
   
   
9. Plan a field trip to the library. Contact your local library to arrange a guided tour that explains how children can use the library. Learn about the library's services for young children. Ask about bilingual story times, special story hours for child care programs, and workshops for caregivers. Discuss how children and families can obtain and use their own library cards.
   
   
10. Help start a community family reading program. A good way to begin is to help set up an America Reads Challenge: READ*WRITE*NOW! program. Consider inviting families to attend reading and parenting discussions. Make sure these gatherings are held at a time when family members can attend. When necessary, send information home about these programs in the family's native language.
    
    
11. Talk with young children about their own lives. Make a special effort to talk with infants and babies. Responding to their cooing and babbling as if you understand them helps them learn about language. As children grow older, encourage them to join you in conversation and be interested in what they have to say. Giving details, descriptions, and telling stories not only helps children learn how stories are written and what they mean, but it also builds vocabulary and communication skills. Do not focus on correcting grammar; instead, model correct grammar yourself.
    
    
12. Plan a field trip to the library. Contact your local library to arrange a guided tour that explains how children can use the library. Learn about the library's services for young children. Ask about bilingual story times, special story hours for child care programs, and workshops for caregivers. Discuss how children and families can obtain and use their own library cards.
    
    
13. Help start a community family reading program. A good way to begin is to help set up an America Reads Challenge: READ*WRITE*NOW! program. Consider inviting families to attend reading and parenting discussions. Make sure these gatherings are held at a time when family members can attend. When necessary, send information home about these programs in the family's native language.
    
    

Continue on to part 3 of this article