Narrate As You Go

As you go about your regular errands with your child in tow, be sure to point out to her when you are using your reading and writing skills. It is almost like thinking aloud. Instead of silently reading a list of ingredients in a supermarket food product, read them aloud. Point out that you are writing your signature on a credit card receipt. You do these thing automatically but all of this is new to your young child, and exposes her to instances of everyday literacy. Don't be afraid to use your regular vocabulary in her presence, either. When you talk about errands, ingredients, comparison shopping, or exorbitant gas prices, you are exposing your child to these concepts, and stretching her vocabulary. Don't forget that your ho-hum, routine activities are novel for your child, and offer an ideal opportunity to increase her knowledge of the ways of the world.

Spring Has Sprung

Shake up your reading routine. If the weather permits, pack up some favorite books and enjoy a spring afternoon with your preschooler, reading together on a park bench or under a tree. In many areas, the landscape is bursting with color.  Consider packing paper and crayons or markers and have your child draw some of the spring blossoms that have emerged. Let him describe to you what he sees, hears, and smells. Take notes.When you get home he can create his own book about an enjoyable spring afternoon.

Travel Souvenirs

If you travel for business or even if you are taking a vacation that does not include your preschooler, it is likely that you think about bringing home a gift for your child. Make it a book. If you can find a book about the place you visited, so much the better. (In fact, you can even purchase it ahead of time . . . ) And while you are away, pick up a postcard of your travel destination to use as a bookmark at home. Bringing home a book sends your child the message that you thought about him while you were away. It also communicates to him that you consider the giving of a book to be a loving gesture.

Drop It?

Say you've sat down to read with your preschooler. She is squirming and clearly not interested in the book you're reading aloud. Maybe you realize that the style is a bit dull or too wordy. Use your judgment. If you sense your child is losing interest and you believe the book is still worth continuing to read, you have some choices. You can tell rather than read the tale. You can skip over some of the description. You can ask her some questions about the book. You can have her make up a new story based on the pictures. But also consider that this book may just not be for her. Find another one! Or better yet, let her pick one she wants to read instead. 

Beyond Words

Say you have a beautiful coffee table book—maybe it has photos of butterflies, trees, beautiful artifacts, or paintings. Sit with your child and page through the book together. Talk about the photos. Talk about what you see. Let her tell you what she sees.Together, feel the nice paper the book was printed on. Open your child’s eyes to the enjoyment that a beautiful book can offer.

A Wonderful Resource for Parents

If you have not discovered the wisdom of Michelle Breum, you are missing out. I "met" Michelle through my blogging about reading and parenting. We both have a passion for reading and know that reaching parents is key for ensuring a new generation of readers.

Michelle is a former teacher and Reading Recovery specialist. She has three children of elementary-school age and tutors on a volunteer basis in their school. She has her own tutoring practice in her home. In her blog (Beginning Reading Help), Michelle writes clearly and knowledgeably about the techniques she uses and generously shares suggestions. To get an idea of Michelle's clear and helpful advice, and to read more about her, check out her lens from Squidoo (http://www.squidoo.com/reading-starts-at-home).

What Happens Next?

After you and your child have finished reading a story together and closed the book, ask him, "What do you think happens next?" or " What happens the next day?" This kind of thinking helps your child in a few ways. First and foremost, it is fun to imagine a continuation or to create an alternative ending to a story. It also encourages your child to use what he already knows about a character or a situation and run with it—to spin some educated guesses based on that information. That is making inferences, a skill he will use in school and in life. But for now, unburdened by finding right answers, he is simply stretching his creativity and engaging in some storytelling of his own.