Tips for Nurturing Reading in Young Children

by Kathy Stemke

Reading is a fundamental lifetime skill that will bring a child immeasurable enjoyment over the years. By singing, talking, reciting rhymes and reading to young children we help their brains to form the links that are essential to learning all language skills. In fact, it is in the
first three years, when the brain grows to 90% of its adult weight that children have the greatest capacity to learn to read.

During this time it is important to form the habit of reading daily to your children. Be dramatic and animated to hold their attention. Use unique and funny voices for each character.

Point to the words you read so that your child associates the pictures and sounds of the book with the letters on each page. Sound out a few simple words. As you read, point out the similarities in the words. Act amazed, as if you found a beautiful jewel. Enthusiasm is contagious.

If you make reading a priority, children will consider it important as well. Create a warm, cozy corner of their room just for reading. Include a bookcase full of great fiction and nonfiction books as well as periodicals. Decorate this corner with pictures that they draw of the books they read. You could even make a caterpillar and add a segment each month
with the book titles they read that month.

Be aware of reading levels and choose books with appropriate levels for your child. One of the biggest turn-offs for children is the frustration they feel when they struggle to read a book which is above their level of reading.

Children feel so grownup when they get mail. Why not sign them up for an age appropriate magazine that comes in the mail monthly.

"O Say Can You Say" by Dr. Seuss teaches a child the silliness of words and rhymes. As you falter over the words, do it with laughter so children will learn that if you read a word incorrectly, it's not time to quit.

Keeping children engaged in the stories, and including fun activities in their reading experience are also important keys to nurturing a love of reading in young children.

Since play is how children learn, play with letters, sounds and words. Play games with sight words too. For instance, draw a road with sight words printed on it. Use a toy car to drive to each word. Have them repeat the word after you so they can drive on to the finish line. Give them an award. When children master many sight words, reading becomes easier.

Use puppets to create interest. Make your own puppets inexpensively. Buy stuffed animals at a thrift store or yard sale, remove some stuffing and add a sock to the inside. Allow the child to act out the story with the puppet.

Take a trip to the local library. Get involved in a story time for children. The librarians introduce fun games and activities associated with books. Encourage your child to explore the children's section of the library.

Make personalized books. Allowing children to become the main character or a hero in the book will definitely keep them hooked to it. Photograph them during their daily activities and create a wordless book. Foster creativity by permitting them to tell their own story.

Make books on fruits and vegetables. Plan a trip to the supermarket. Have your child take pictures of different fruits and vegetables. Children love to touch, feel and smell the different fruits and vegetables. They can also compare the size and weight.

There are an infinite number of ways that you can make books come alive for young children. Once they get the book bug, they will always want to read.



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Encouraging Creative Movement and Music in Young Children

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Positive Reinforcement Shapes Behavior

When young children receive immediate positive reinforcement for appropriate behavior, they are more likely to repeat that behavior. Positive reinforcement is “catching” a kid doing something you want them to do and rewarding it. This is an effective way to shape a child’s conduct, and attitude. Children naturally want to earn and keep your approval. Check out the many ways in this article that you can use to foster good behavior.

A recent study dramatically reinforced this teaching approach. A research group at the University of Rochester conducted a three-year study funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They interviewed 278 mothers of 3-year-olds and observed mothers and children playing and working together. The women and children represented all socio-economic groups.

They found that the children of parents, who were negative and controlling, verbally and physically, were “situationally” compliant. This means as soon as the parent became distracted, the child reverted to inappropriate behavior because they had not learned the correct skills. By contrast, the children of parents who use gentle guidance or positive reinforcement showed “committed compliance,” which means they understood the correct behavior.

Positive Reinforcement works because it gives children positive goals to work towards instead of only focusing on negative consequences to avoid. Positive reinforcement fulfills strong basic psychological needs of every child as well as setting a more positive and healthy tone for the caregiver-child relationship. Some parents find it helpful to display a note where they can see it often. The note might read, "notice the positive" or "catch'em doing good."

Use Verbal Praise
Always praise the behavior, not the person. Praises like good girl or good boy risk misinterpretation. The child may think they are bad if they misbehave. It’s better to praise the behavior by saying, “You did a great job cleaning your room, son.”

Praise Genuinely
Complimenting a child’s behavior can lose its punch if you praise usual, expected behavior or if you praise too much. Don’t over do it. You may want to keep a mental note of the number of times you are using praise in a day. Use eye and body contact during your delivery to reinforces your sincerity. A child can tell when you’re faking it.

Use a Variety of Ways to Praise
To keep a child’s attention, change the delivery of your praise. A teacher can give a pat on the head or shoulder to show approval, while a parent can give a hug or a kiss. Body language like a thumbs up, communicates approval in a cool way. You might want to write a note praising their clean room and leave it on their pillow. Children love behavior charts with colorful stars or stickers, because they can show visitors their accomplishments by showing them the chart. Charts are interactive and fun. Let the child help you make the chart and make daily entries.

Help your child draw a picture of his reward. Put dots around the prize about an inch apart. With each day of successful behavior, allow the child to connect a dot. When the circle is complete, the child gets his reward. They enjoy watching their own progress as they get closer and closer to finishing the circle. Keep the time until the prize is collected short. For a toddler, use end of the hour rewards; for a preschooler use end of the day rewards; and for the school age child use end of the week rewards. In fact, for a preschool child it’s best to refer to an event as the ending time such as, ‘after dinner” or” at bedtime.”

To work, a reward must be something the child likes. You can become a detective and ask some leading questions to find out what rewards a child wants. The following are examples of leading questions.

“If you could do some special things, what would that be?”
“If you could go somewhere with a friend, where would you go?’
“If you had a dollar, what would you buy?’

Make reward coupons to be redeemed when they earn a certain number of points. But remember that children need reminders. Reminders are less likely to provoke a refusal or power struggle. You might give a clue like, “Where does your plate belong?” You might want to write a list of positive behaviors or responsibilities on a poster board. You can review these lists with the child as needed.

A child who receives positive reinforcement develops high self-esteem; and a child with a high self-esteem usually exhibits self-motivation. A child who exhibits self-motivation generally becomes a successful achiever at home and at school.

There are some who say rewards can stunt creativity in children, and children should perform for the joy of the activity. But, life is full of rewards. If a person follows the rules, and works hard, they are rewarded.