Nothing makes my heart happier than watching my little ones develop a love for reading and storytelling. As a first-grade teacher, I have seen the difference it makes when children begin reading and telling stories at a young age.
I love to see their little imaginations at work as they pour through books and retell the stories they have read. By instilling a love of reading at a young age, your child will be set up for lasting reading success. I am so excited to share some of my favorite tips to help your little ones learn to read while having FUN!
Provide Opportunities for Talking and Listening
Children love listening to stories! By speaking with your child, you can help to expand their imagination and storytelling abilities. When you talk to your child or they listen to stories, this helps to develop their listening skills.
Make it your mission to provide stories for your child to listen to as they go through the day! You can tell make-believe stories, read books, and use the LeapFrog® On-the-Go Story Pal™! My daughter loves to listen to story after story on “her bunny.” With the easy-to-use controls, she can even turn it on and choose a story herself. Plus, I can create a playlist with up to five stories, songs, poems, or lullabies. The best part is, she can listen to stories around the house, in the car, while waiting at school pickup, or anywhere else she can take her Story Pal™ with her.
My 5-year-old son also loves his Story Pal™! He records the stories he reads so he can share them with others. It’s so much fun to see my children use their Story Pal™ as they sit together and make memories!
Learn Through Play-Based Activities
Hand a child an engaging storytelling or reading activity, and they can play and read all day long, and with the LeapFrog® LeapStart® Learning Success Bundle™, we can do just that! The touch-and-talk pages are so engaging that they hold even the youngest child’s attention and increase in difficulty as they grow. Activities including games, puzzles, and creative challenges enhance learning to help kids build reading, problem-solving skills, and more.
My daughter will tell you that she loves her new “toy”, but it is so much more! Her favorite activity is pointing to each letter that appears to form a roller coaster. My son also enjoys adding the Cory Carson Superhero School™ book so he can read and play the activities. Plus, the stylus is perfect for little hands to work on their pincer grasp as they read.
The Learning Success Bundle™ is also perfect for busy days. I love how easy it is for my children to close it, grab the handle, and take it with us wherever we go!
Read Independently and Together
When helping a child learn to read, it is important to make it fun! There are so many ways for a child to experience reading, regardless of the level they are at. You can read aloud to your child, read together with your child, and when ready, provide opportunities for your child to read independently. We love to read stories from our LeapFrog®LeapReader® Learn-to-Read 10-Book Mega Pack™. There are a variety of reading levels included covering a multitude of phonics skills and sight words.
Anytime your child needs help reading a word, they can just use the LeapReader® stylus to hear the word or touch the book icon to hear the story read aloud. This is so helpful in promoting independent readers. Having this audio support allows any child to feel successful reading, even when they need a little extra help with a word.
...
Building a love for reading and storytelling takes time. The more opportunities you give your child to read, whether it be with you or by themselves, the easier it will become. With the help of LeapFrog, I am sure you can find activities your little ones will love. I hope you are as excited as I am to help instill a love of reading and storytelling in your little ones!
Laurin Brainard, also known as The Primary Brain, began her teaching career in 2011. This was when she found her passion for teaching young children how to read! Today, Laurin enjoys teaching first grade and spending time with her two little ones as they learn and play at home! You can connect with Laurin on Instagram @theprimarybrain and find tips and tricks for engaging your children at: www.theprimarybrain.com
Comments