Your Child’s First Books

Don’t be in a hurry to discard your child’s first books. These books can be used as an important tool to help her learn to read. Because you read these books several times to her and they are full of pictures that go with specific words and simple sentences, she will slowly start putting two and two together and figuring out the sounds of the letters that make the words. She will recognize the letters that she has probably begun learning in her play school and will also learn the functionality of learning the alphabet. The familiar and predictable text of the books will aid her to practice reading the words on her own, which in turn will help build her confidence and risk-taking ability to read unfamiliar and complex words. As you read trace the words with your finger so that she can add more words to her sight words bank. Keep these books accessible to her, once you have read a book make sure you keep it out for at least a couple of days.