Publisher's Synopsis
Letters & words & sounds, oh my! Don't panic, Mom... Kickstarting your child's reading journey is WAY easier than it sounds.
Did you know that children in Finland don't start school until they're seven years old? Yet, they go on to become exceptional readers.
Why is that?
The reason is simple: in Finland, people understand that fostering a love of learning is the key to success. Therefore, they allow children to build up their foundational skills through play, conversation, and creativity -- before enrolling them in formal education.
And as parents, we can learn from that.
We can't change our children's age to start school, but we can set them up for success by nurturing their early literacy skills and igniting an interest in learning.
The best part?
The learning process can be exceptionally good fun -- for parents as well as kids.
The idea of setting children up to be confident and fluent readers is daunting for most parents, but it really doesn't need to involve formal lessons or an in-depth understanding of the curriculum... In fact, it shouldn't.
The best way to set your child on the path to becoming an enthusiastic, curious, and confident reader is to integrate literacy skills into your everyday life... and above all, make them fun.
In Teaching Your Child to Read, you'll find a modern and straightforward approach to teaching your child early reading skills. You'll discover:
- The #1 thing you can do as a parent to raise a confident reader with a natural love of books
- How to recognize reading readiness in your child -- and why so-called 'milestones' aren't all they're cracked up to be
- All the background information you need to know to understand how to scaffold your child's development
- Stealth strategies for taking what your child does naturally and turning it into a teachable moment (in a fun way!)
- The real reason nursery rhymes are so important -- and how you can build on the foundations you lay with them
- How to bring out your inner J.K. Rowling (and your child's version too!)
- Environmental print -- understand how to use your new best friend!
- Everything you need to know about teaching your child the letter sounds -- and what to do with them
- 'Sight words' demystified -- plus strategies to help your child recognize them
- The most common mistakes parents make when teaching their children to read (don't worry -- forewarned is forearmed!)
- A comprehensive glossary of reading-related jargon so that you can be sure you'll understand teacher code once your child starts school
- A wealth of tips, activities, and games for every area of development to set you up for a fun learning experience with your child
And much more.
Worrying is a natural part of being a parent. You want your kids to be confident, fluent readers, and you want them to enjoy reading... but do you have the skills to teach such a difficult skill?
Here's a secret: you do.
Teaching your child to read isn't as tricky as it sounds... and you already have all the skills you need to do it.
