Get Caught Reading

It sounds almost too simple to be true . . . but it is true for sure! Make sure that your young child sees you reading, and you will be sending an important message.

You can be reading a book, newspaper, magazine, electronic device, or files on a computer. You can be checking a train schedule, sports scores, or stock prices. You can be following a recipe or trying to decipher instructions for assembling a piece of furniture.

Whenever your preschooler sees you reading--anything--make it into a big deal. Point it out. Show her that you are reading for a purpose--to learn something, to get something done, or just because you love it.

You are your child's first teacher. Show her that reading is a skill you engage in, and find useful and pleasurable. Model being a reader. Don't be shy about it. Get caught reading!

Summer Reading

Are you planning to take a summer vacation? Be sure to pack some books for your preschooler. Not only will you most likely have time to kill in a car, train, bus, or airport . . . but you are bound to need some entertainment for rainy days or other slow times.

Think about packing some reliable favorites as well as some new surprises. A mix of familiar and novel books can be a winning combination.

If you are traveling to a new part of the country, plan  ahead and pick up some great reads that are set in that region--whether beach, farm, big city, mountains, or lakes.

Happy reading!