Reading Is A Family Affair

At the preschool level, reading is the doorway to developing strong reading and writing skills in our children.  Maple Bear believes in the importance of reading both at school and at home. We always encourage our parents and caregivers to read together with their child.

Reading Aloud Is A Daily Routine At Maple Bear Schools

Literacy is our most important objective and so, our schools regularly read aloud with the children every day. It creates a culture in which children get used to listening to stories multiple times a day and it is foundational to later success in reading and writing.

The Benefits Of Reading Aloud

Reading aloud not only supports the development of their literacy skills, but it is also a wonderful way to connect in a meaningful way to your child.  Reading together lays the groundwork for a long-term love of reading.  Plus, young children can be involved and engaged in the development of their own literacy.

There are many benefits to reading aloud:

• An opportunity to have quality time with your child.
• A way to support your child in their language development.
• Your child will absorb more vocabulary.

How Parents Can Read Together With Their Child

Many of our parents ask us how they can best help their child with reading at home, but are not sure how.

Allocate some time every week to read together. We suggest around 15 minutes, four or five times a week. But depending on your schedule, any amount of time will help, no matter how long or how often.

Here are some ideas of what to do with your pre-schooler:

• Let your child choose a book for you to read aloud.
• Find a comfortable place to read to your child and if your child is reading encourage them to read a part of the story to you.
• Talk about the book and its pictures as you go through it together.
• Encourage your child to echo some of the words as you read.

Does your child love reading the same story over and over? This is typical of young children and is an important step in their learning development. Try to be patient and supportive. It may be boring for you, the parent, but it is a way for them to build confidence with words and patterns in the book.

As your child gets older, and become readers themselves, you can encourage them to read aloud to you or to someone else in your household.  An enthusiastic and supportive listener can help your child improve in fluency and reading comprehension.

Learning a language includes experiences in speaking and listening, writing and reading.  Whatever the activity, the most important thing is that parents and children enjoy the learning process together!