This blog post was written by Sacha Farrell, an Early Literacy Specialist at the YMCA of Greater Toronto.
Sharing books with a young child is a heartwarming experience that builds skills, bonds and memories that will last a lifetime. A few years ago during the second week of a parenting program I was facilitating at a local YMCA Ontario Early Years Centre, a mom approached me, her eight month old daughter snug in her arms.
“I can’t believe it!” She said enthusiastically. “Last week you said it is never too early to start reading with your baby. I left the program and went straight to the library and guess what? My daughter LOVES books!"
Early literacy development is a process that begins in these precious first years of life. It is linked to children’s first experiences with books, stories and songs. By encouraging young children to explore books, paper and crayons we are building a strong foundation for early literacy development as well as shaping the attitudes children acquire about reading and writing.
There are many ways to make these interactions a consistent and positive experience for children:
Choosing Good Books
With so many options, it can be difficult to choose books for young children. As a head-over-heels picture book lover, for me, finding a new, special book or author is like discovering gold. So here are a few ‘nuggets’ for you to discover with you child:
Sharing books with a young child is a heartwarming experience that builds skills, bonds and memories that will last a lifetime. A few years ago during the second week of a parenting program I was facilitating at a local YMCA Ontario Early Years Centre, a mom approached me, her eight month old daughter snug in her arms.
“I can’t believe it!” She said enthusiastically. “Last week you said it is never too early to start reading with your baby. I left the program and went straight to the library and guess what? My daughter LOVES books!"
Early literacy development is a process that begins in these precious first years of life. It is linked to children’s first experiences with books, stories and songs. By encouraging young children to explore books, paper and crayons we are building a strong foundation for early literacy development as well as shaping the attitudes children acquire about reading and writing.
There are many ways to make these interactions a consistent and positive experience for children:
- Set aside a few minutes every day to read to your child.
- Choose material your child shows interest in.
- Make it personal by talking about your family and community when reading about others. For example, one grandparent I know uses the names of his granddaughters to replace the names of the main characters he is reading about.
- Have a conversation with your child about what you are reading. Encourage them to ask questions.
- Read with enthusiasm.
- Get comfortable! A chair, couch, bed, hammock, or floor can all make a cozy reading spot.
Choosing Good Books
With so many options, it can be difficult to choose books for young children. As a head-over-heels picture book lover, for me, finding a new, special book or author is like discovering gold. So here are a few ‘nuggets’ for you to discover with you child:
- Hug, by Jez Alborough
- Counting Kisses: A Kiss & Read Book, by Karen Katz
- Monkey and Me, by Emily Gravett
- Little Pea, by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
- The Day the Crayons Quit, by Drew Daywalt and Oliver Jeffers
