At bedtime, Max has been reading Ben one of his all-time favorite books: My Car, by Byron Barton. Last night, Max told me it's Ben's favorite book, too. It's cute central. And of course, I'm super-proud of Max's reading skills; they're coming along. I read more advanced books to him but he's able to read early elementary school books to me, and now he has a new audience.
For a long time, Max didn't have the attention span for books. He started caring more when he developed obsessions—purple, spaghetti, car washes, Lightning McQueen, fire trucks/firefighters—and I found relevant books. (Pray that your child never likes Lightning McQueen because those were some of the most boring books in the history of books.)
Some new inspiration for parents: My friends Amy Mascott, a reading specialist and creator of Teach Mama, and Allison McDonald, a preschool teacher who founded No Time For Flash Cards, have a book out, Raising A Rock-Star Reader. It's packed with quick tips for helping kids develop early reading and writing skills, and a love of reading. It's not specific to kids with special needs, but there's lots of advice that's helpful for kids of all abilities.
Some of my favorite tips:
For a long time, Max didn't have the attention span for books. He started caring more when he developed obsessions—purple, spaghetti, car washes, Lightning McQueen, fire trucks/firefighters—and I found relevant books. (Pray that your child never likes Lightning McQueen because those were some of the most boring books in the history of books.)
Some new inspiration for parents: My friends Amy Mascott, a reading specialist and creator of Teach Mama, and Allison McDonald, a preschool teacher who founded No Time For Flash Cards, have a book out, Raising A Rock-Star Reader. It's packed with quick tips for helping kids develop early reading and writing skills, and a love of reading. It's not specific to kids with special needs, but there's lots of advice that's helpful for kids of all abilities.
Some of my favorite tips:
Bring books to life.
Make reading fun and it'll spark a kid's interest. You can throw a birthday party with a favorite book as the theme (find ideas on Pinterest), give book-themed gifts, decorate a room with a theme from a book or simply make up stories about a child's favorite character.
Play "I spy" to help kids learn letters.
You want kids to see that letters are everywhere, and once they learn them and can read words, they'll find messages everywhere. So regularly play a game: Ask them to look around for specific letters—say, at the grocery store or on a menu. They can search for a stick in the park in the shape of a letter. You can also add a challenge; for example, find the most beautiful letter "B" on a road sign.
Have a dedicated place for bedtime books.
It's a time saver, to be sure, but I've also found that it helps Max focus. Shelf upon shelf of books is overwhelming. (Same goes for toys.) We keep Max's current faves in a basket by his bed and rotate them in and out.
Help kids relate to the characters, events or ideas in the book.
As Amy and Allison say, "When readers are able to create a connection to a text, they're more likely to remember what they're reading and they often understand it at a deeper level." So bring up your own experiences, like why the grandma in the story reminds you of your own or that you know other kids like the girl in Knuffle Bunnie who are attached to their stuffed animals.
Ask questions.
Asking your child about what they are reading is key to helping kids become stronger readers. Some good starters:
• I wonder why...
• When will they...
• Who will help the...
• What will they do if...
• Why did they decide to...
Note Allison and Amy, "You may be surprised at how insightful and thoughtful your child can be." Amen!
