Help Your Child Build A Strong Foundation in Reading

Learning to read and write are among the most important skills your child will ever learn. These skills are the foundation on which all other academic achievement is built. Starting early in a child’s development, is the key to fostering a child’s love of reading and learning.

“As your child’s first teacher, it is important to begin exposing him or her to books early on,” says Uma Kumar, director of the Kumon Math & Reading Center of Austin-FourPoints. As reported in a recent New York Times article, The American Academy of Pediatrics announced a new policy for pediatricians to recommend parents to begin reading to their children from birth.

Studies have shown that reading aloud to children can positively impact their vocabulary and communication skills. Engaging your child early on with books can also develop a lifelong love of reading.

Here are three ways parents can help children establish a strong foundation for reading:

• Read aloud to your child. Reading aloud is the single best way to support literacy development. It exposes children to language, teaches them about books and helps them begin identifying words and sounds.

• Make reading fun. Point to words, animate your voice and ask children to predict what will happen next. If your child is interested, it aids in his or her understanding of the story.

• Be a reading role model. Set an example by letting your child see you read. Children who are exposed to active and enthusiastic readers are likely to model this behavior themselves.

For information or a free placement test contact the Kumon Director of Austin-FourPoints, Uma Kumar at 512-527-8960. Today more than four million children in 48 countries and regions around the world are currently studying with the Kumon Math & Reading Program.