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Ready to Read

Sparking Your Child's Interest in Books

By Melissa Granberry

Young children are like sponges, soaking in everything around them. You can almost see information being absorbed and processed in their little minds. With all their capacity to play and learn, there's no better time to introduce the joy and importance of reading.

"Children learn to talk because people talk to them," says Sally Goldberg, Ph.D., author of Make Your Own Preschool Games (Perseus, 2002). "In the same way, they learn to read when people read to them."

So when should we start reading to our kids? "From their earliest days," says Betty Watson, Ph.D., director of early childhood education and professor of children's literature at Harding University in Searcy, Ark.

By the time your child turns 2, he or she will probably have a few favorite books. According to Watson, reading the same books repeatedly will develop language skills and helps children make the connections between words and pictures.

So if your child is begging for Goodnight Moon for the millionth time, go ahead and indulge her. Since she is so familiar with the book, pause before reading the last word of the page and see if she can finish the rhyme.

However, if your child is growing bored with her personal library, it's all right to branch out and try some more books. "Young children are very interested in 'counting' books and books about themselves – their body parts, what they wear, etc."

If your child picks up a book that seems too complex for her age, Watson suggests trying a technique called "scaffolding." "Parents can talk to their child about what is in the book and tailor it to fit the child's level," says Watson. "Though the parent is not actually reading, the child will still enjoy the time spent with the parent and learning about important features of the book, such as how it is held and how to turn the pages."

Although it is never too early to spark your child's interest in reading, it should be done in a playful manner. "There should be no pressure for your 2-year-old or 3-year-old to learn," says Watson.

So relax and enjoy your time together! Children learn with almost every activity they do – whether it's singing along to The Wiggles

Want to see more?

• The Rules of Reading: How to Engage Baby and Toddler
• Let's Start Reading: It's Never to Early to Introduce Reading to Your Child
• Preschoolers Today Recommended Reading List
• Book It! The Importance of Reading to Your Child
• Talk about it!