10 Tips for Parents of Young Children.

1. Read aloud to your child every day:  Let your child see and touch the book.  Play with voices and the sounds of words.

2. Create a print rich home environment:  Have a wide variety of books available to children.  Encourage children to look at books on their own.

3. Model reading and writing:  Let children see you reading for work, to learn something and for pleasure.

4.  Use grocery shopping to encourage reading:  Have children help you search for specific brands.  Use the aisle markers with your child to find items.

5.  Cook with your child to develop literacy:  Show your child how to read a recipe.  Read the labels on ingredients together.

6.  Explore books together:  As you read, point out important features about the book.  Ask your child questions.  Point out new vocabulary.

7.  Tell stories together:  Talk together about your family history, tell about your day, make up a story using your child’s name.

8.  Sing and rhyme with your child:  Choose songs with rhymes and word play.  Play rhyming games with your child.

9.  Write with your child:  Provide lots of writing materials: chalk, markers, crayons, and pencils.  Encourage your child to draw and write on her own.  Help your child write thank you notes, make to-do lists and the like.

10.  Visit the library often:  Make weekly trips and encourage your child to get her own library card.