While reading with your child is most important, there are other activities that help to get children ready to read. With a solid foundation, your child will not only read, but will read with enthusiasm.

Learning to read is part of learning language. It's like a little leaguer learning to hit a baseball. The young hitter must learn to watch the ball when it is pitched, to step into it, and to swing the bat to make the hit. It's a single event made up of three acts.

Baseball players learn to do all three at once.

The same is true of learning language. When we use language, we speak words out loud, we read words on paper, and we write. This section has activities that encourage your child to:

• speak;
• read;
• write;
• listen.

Begin long before you expect your child to actually read, and continue long after your child is an independent reader.

Now, turn the page and start enjoying language.

Tot Talk

What's "old hat" to you can be new and exciting to preschoolers. When you talk about everyday experiences, you help children connect their world to language and enable them to go beyond that world to new ideas.

What to do

1. As you get dinner ready, talk to your child about things that are happening. When your 2- or 3-year-old "helps" by taking out all the pots and pans, talk about them. Which one is the biggest? Can you find a lid for that one? What color is this one?

2. When walking down the street and your toddler stops to collect leaves, stop and ask questions that require more than a "yes" or "no" answer. Which leaves are the same? Which are different? What else grows on trees?

3. Ask "what if" questions. What would happen if we didn't shovel the snow? What if that butterfly lands on your nose?

4. Answer your children's endless "why" questions patiently. When you say, "I don't know, let's look it up" you show how important books are as resources for answering questions.

5. After your preschooler tells you a story, ask questions so you can understand better. That way children learn how to tell complete stories and know you are interested in what they have to say.

6. Expose your children to varied experiences—trips to the library, museum, or zoo; walks in the park; or visits with friends and relatives. Surround these events with lots of comments, questions, and answers.

Talking enables children to expand their vocabulary and understanding of the world. The ability to carry on a conversation is important for reading development. Remember, it is a better talk too much than too little with a small child.

What's in A Name?

Use your child's name to develop an interest in the world of print.

What you'll need

• Paper
• Pencil, crayon, or marker

What to do

1. Print the letters of your child's name on paper.

2. Say each letter as you write it, "K...A...T...I...E" or "M...I...K...E."

3. When you finish, say, "That's your name!"

4. Have your child draw a picture.

5. When finished, say, "I have an idea! Let's put your name on your picture." As you write the letters, say them out loud.

6. If you have magnetic letters, spell out your child's name on the refrigerator door.

7. Print your child's name on a card and put it on the door of your child's room or special place.

It's hard to overemphasize the importance of writing and displaying your child's name.

World of Words

Here are a few words to create a home rich in words

What You'll Need

• Paper
• Pencils, crayons, markers
• Glue (if you want to make a poster)
• Newspapers, magazines
• Safety scissors

What To Do

1. Hang posters of the alphabet on bedroom walls or make an alphabet poster with your child.

2. Label the things in your child's pictures. If your child draws a picture of a house, label it "house" and put it on the refrigerator.

3. Have your child watch you write when you make shopping or to-do lists. Say the words out loud and carefully print each letter.

4. Let your child make lists, too. Help your child form the letters and spell the words.

5. Look at newspapers and magazines with your child. Find an interesting picture and show it to your child as you read the caption out loud.

6. Create a scrapbook. Cut out pictures of people and places and label them.

By exposing your child to words and letters often, your child will begin to recognize the shapes of letters. The world of words will become friendly.

Book Nooks

With very litte effort, parents can introduce children to the wide world of books.

What to do

1. Visit the library. Get a library card in your child's name and one for yourself if you don't have one. Go to the children's section and spend time reading and selecting books to take home. Check out books yourself to show your child everyone can use and enjoy books and the library. Be sure to introduce your child to the librarian and ask about special programs the library has for children.

2. Start your own home library. Designate a book case or shelf especially for your child. Encourage your child to arrange the books by some method—books about animals, holiday books, favorite books.

3. Keep an eye out for inexpensive books at flea markets, garage sales, used book stores, and discount tables at book stores. Many public libraries sell old books once a year. You will find some real bargains!

4. Make your own books. (See activity under Make a Book.) Child- made books become lasting treasures and part of your home library.

When collecting books is an important family activity, parents send the message that books are important and fun.

Family Stories

Family stories enrich the relationship between parent and child.

What to do

1. Tell your child stories about your parents and grandparents. You might even put these stories in a book and add old family photographs.

2. Have your child tell you stories about what happened on special days, such as holidays, birthdays, and family vacations.

3. Reminisce about when you were little. Describe things that happened at school involving teachers and subjects you were studying. Talk about your brothers, sisters, or friends.

4. Write a trip journal with your child to create a new family story. Recording the day's special event and pasting the photograph into the journal ties the family story to a written record. You can also include everyday trips like going to the market or the park.

It helps for children to know that stories come from real people and are about real events. When children listen to stories, they hear the voice of the storyteller. This helps them hear the words they learn to read aloud or read silently.

Now Hear This

Children are great mimics. When you tell stories, your child will begin to tell stories, too.

What to do

1. Have your child tell stories like those you have told. Ask: "And then what happened?" to urge the story along.

2. Listen closely when your child speaks. Be enthusiastic and responsive.

3. If you don't understand some part of the story, take the time to get your child to explain. This will help your child understand the relationship between a speaker and a listener and an author and a reader.

4. Encourage your child to express himself or herself. This will help your child develop a wide vocabulary. It can also help with pronouncing words clearly.

Having a good audience is very helpful for a child to improve language skills, as well as poise in speaking. Parents can be the best audience a child will ever have.

P.S. I Love You

Something important happens when children receive and write letters. They realize that the printed word has a purpose.

What You'll Need

• Paper
• Pencil, crayon, or marker

What To Do

1. Send your child little notes (by putting them in a pocket or lunch box, for example). When your child shows you the note, read it out loud with expression. Some children will read the notes on their own.

2. When your child expresses a feeling or thought that's related to a person, have your child write a letter. Have your child dictate the words to you if your child doesn't write yet.

   For example:

   Dear Grandma,

   I like it when you make ice cream. It's better than the kind
   we buy at the store.

   Your grandson,
   Darryl

   P.S. I love you.

3. Ask the people who receive these notes to respond. An oral response is fine—a written response is even better.

4. Explain the writing process to your child: "We think of ideas and put them into words; we put the words on paper; people read the words; and people respond."

Language is speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Each elements supports and enriches the other. Sending letters will help children become writers, and writing will make them better readers.

Easy as Pie

Preparing meals is another good way for children to practice language skills.

What You'll Need

• Paper
• Pencil
• Cookbook or recipes
• Food supplies

What To Do

1. Ask children to help you prepare a grocery list.

2. Take them to the market and have them find items on the list.

3. Have them help put away the groceries and encourage them to read the labels, box tops, and packages as they store them.

4. Have them read the ingredients from a recipe.

5. Prepare a meal together and let them take needed items from shelves and storage areas.

6. Talk about the steps in preparing a meal—first, second, and so on.

7. Praise the efforts of your early reader and encourage other family members to do the same.

The purpose of reading is to get meaning from the page. By using reading skills to prepare a meal, children see positive results from reading.

Write On

Writing helps a child become a better reader, and reading helps a child become a better writer.

What You'll Need

• Pencils, crayons, or markers
• Paper or notebook
• Chalkboard

What To Do

1. Ask your preschooler to dictate a story to you. It could include descriptions of your outings and activities, along with mementos such as fall leaves, birthday cards, and photographs. Older children can do these activities on their own.

2. Use a chalkboard or a family message board as an exciting way to involve children in writing with a purpose.

3. Keep supplies of paper, pencils, markers, and the like within easy reach.

4. Encourage beginning and developing writers to keep journals and write stories. Ask questions that will help children organize the stories, and respond to their questions about letters and spelling. Suggest they share the activity with a smaller brother, sister, or friend.

5. Respond to the content of children's writing, and don't be overly concerned with misspellings. Over time you can help your child concentrate on learning to spell correctly.

When children begin to write, they run the risk of criticsm, and it takes courage to continue. Our job as parents is to help children find the courage. This we can do by expressing our appreciation of their efforts.

TV

Television can be a great tool for education too. The keys are setting limits, making good choices, taking time to watch together, discussing what you view, and encouraging follow-up reading.

What To Do

1. Limit your child's television viewing time and make your rules and reasons clear. Involve your child in choosing which programs to watch. Read the TV schedule together to choose.

2. Monitor what your child is watching, and whenever possible, watch the programs with your child.

3. When you watch shows with your child, discuss what you have seen so your child can better understand the programs.

4. Look for programs that will stimulate your child's interests and encourage reading (such as dramatizations of children's literature and programs on wildlife, natural history, and science).

Many experts recommend that children watch no more than 10 hours of television each week. Limiting televeision viewing frees up time for reading and writing activities.

It is worth noting that captioned television shows can be especially helpful with children who are deaf and hard of hearing, studying English as a second language, or having difficulty learning to read.

Make A Book

Turn your child's writing into a homemade book. The effect will be powerful. Suddenly books become a lot more human and understandable.

What You'll Need

• Construction paper
• Yarn or ribbon
• Heavy paper or cardboard
• Colorful cloth or wrapping paper
• Paste
• Safety scissors

What To Do

1. Paste pages of your child's writings onto pieces of construction paper.

2. Discuss the order the writings should go in. Should all the writings about animals go in one section and the writings about holidays in another? Which writings are the most important and where should they be placed in the book?

3. Number the pages.

4. Make a table of contents.

5. Make covers for the book with heavy paper or cardboard. You might want to paste colorful cloth or wrapping paper onto the covers.

6. Punch holes in the pages and the covers.

7. Bind the book together by lacing the yarn or ribbon through the holes. Make knots in the loose ends or tie them in a bow, so that the yarn or ribbon won't slip out.

8. Add pages to this book as more writings are completed or start a new book.

Making books is a multi-step process from planning to writing to producing a final product.

Make Your Own Dictionary

A letter dictionary is a long-term project.

What You'll Need

• Notebook
• Pencil, pen, crayons, or markers
• Old magazines
• Safety scissors
• Paste

What To Do

1. Help your child head every page or two with a letter of the alphabet.

2. Cut out pictures of things from old magazines that start with the letters and paste them on the appropriate pages.

3. Help your child label the pictures.

If it stops being fun, you can come back to the project at a later time. When you come back to it, don't worry if your child forgets something. That's the nature of young children.