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Reading Tips for Parents of Preschoolers

By: Reading Rockets (2008)

These tips for parents of preschoolers are also available as a one-page handout to download and print.

Our reading tip sheets,
for parents of children
in preschool to grade 3,
are available in 9 other languages.

Read together every day

Read to your child every day. Make this a warm and loving time when the two of you can cuddle close.

Give everything a name

Build your child's vocabulary by talking about interesting words and objects. For example, "Look at that airplane! Those are the wings of the plane. Why do you think they are called wings?"

Say how much you enjoy reading

Tell your child how much you enjoy reading with him or her. Talk about "story time" as the favorite part of your day.

Read with fun in your voice

Read to your child with humor and expression. Use different voices. Ham it up!

Know when to stop

Put the book away for awhile if your child loses interest or is having trouble paying attention.

Be interactive

Discuss what's happening in the book, point out things on the page, and ask questions.

Read it again and again

Go ahead and read your child's favorite book for the 100th time!

Talk about writing, too

Mention to your child how we read from left to right and how words are separated by spaces.

Point out print everywhere

Talk about the written words you see in the world around you. Ask your child to find a new word on each outing.

Get your child evaluated

Please be sure to see your child's pediatrician or teacher as soon as possible if you have concerns about your child's language development, hearing, or sight.

Reading tip sheets in other languages

A downloadable handout, for parents of children in pre-K through grade 3, is also available below in the following languages:

Find these and other downloadable tips and guides in our Guides section.

Reading tips for parents of…

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* To view this file, you'll need a copy of Acrobat Reader. Most computers already have it installed, or you can download it now.

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