Babble to Books: Reading with Your Very Young Child

by Brenda Buzzell, Building Blocks for Literacy Coordinator 

The value of reading to infants and toddlers has been well documented by recent research studies. Reading aloud with young children, talking about the pictures on a page or even paraphrasing words expands children's imaginations and encourages language development. Reading aloud allows infants and young children to hear the sounds of our language combined in words and sentences. Infants progress through stages of babbling until they babble using the consonants and vowels of the language they hear. This babbling is a huge predictor of first words and language development.

Here are some tips and tricks to help you with reading aloud to your infant, toddler or preschooler: 

For infants and toddlers:
Use a variety of books to introduce simple words such as tree, ball, baby and car. As you are reading, point to each picture, say the word and ask the child to touch the object in the book. Here are some great book suggestions for starting out:

• Smile by Roberta Grobel Intrater is full of baby faces making all kinds of wonderful expressions and provides a great opportunity to teach about the different parts of the face.

• Big Red Barn by Margaret Wise Brown is great for having young children mimic the sounds of the animals and tractor, which helps set the stage for learning that sounds are contained in words.

• Choose rhyming books, such as Jamberry by Bruce Degen, the beginning Dr. Seuss books and books that can be sung, such as If You’re Happy and You Know It. Sing the words and do the motions! Books like these expose children to the sounds of language while providing an opportunity to experience more words as you both clap, stomp, and shake as all are happy and know it!

Thursday Thoughts: Interesting Literacy and Learning Links Round-Up

Brain Teaser:
 
This one has caused a lot of debate! What do you think?
 
Take a new test aimed at the world’s English Language Learners. Wondering how your English skills stack up? Try the sample questions at the end of the article on testing ELL students and see how you would fare. Do you agree or disagree with the answers?

Interesting Literacy and Learning Links:
 
This is awesome! Through Your Child’s Eyes. It’s one thing to read about how a learning or attention issue can affect your child. It’s another thing to see it through your child’s eyes. Experience firsthand how frustrating it can be when your hand won’t write what your brain is telling it to write. Find out why it can be so hard to complete a simple task even when you’re trying to pay attention. Experience it yourself. National Center for Learning Disabilities.

Thursday Thoughts: Great Literacy and Learning Links From the Past Week

BRAIN TEASER:

What occurs once in a minute, twice in a moment and never in one thousand years?
(See answer below)

INTERESTING NEWS AND COOL LINKS:
 
Books Are Just a Start. Although reading can be a powerful force for early brain development, the nature of parent-baby conversations while reading and during other interactions matter at least as much. Huffington Post Parents, July 9, 2014.

Math and Reading Abilities Driven by Same Genes. July 9, 2014.Children’s reading and math abilities have a large and overlapping genetic component, according to a new study published in Nature Communications this week. 
 
The Secret of Effective Motivation- There are two kinds of motive for engaging in any activity: internal and instrumental. Which is most conducive to success? The New York Times, July 4, 2014.