Kristi Yamaguchi's Always Dream

kristi yamaguchi's Always Dream logo

1) Children pay attention to books they find interesting. Letting children choose the book is a good way to know what interests them.

2) Children enjoy re-reading books that interest them. Have your child choose a favorite book and explain what makes it interesting.

3) Pay attention to the kinds of questions your child asks today to help you know what interests them. Choose books that relate to their questions.

4) Children learn that reading is important when they see the people around them reading to learn or do something. Make sure your child sees you reading. Adults can invite children to follow along as they read. For example, you can invite your child to read cookbooks and plan meals with you.

5) Practice using new words. Have your child draw a picture about a favorite book. Use the picture to have a conversation about what happened in the story.

6) Readers pay attention to important information as they read. Paying attention to important information helps them learn something new.

7) Reading is connected to many holiday traditions like stories and singing. Reading favorite books during the holidays links reading to happy memories.

8) Readers make connections to their own lives as they read. Thinking about how their life and the book are the same or different helps them understand. Invite your child to think about how a story is like their own life

The Always Reading Program emphasizes trying to incorporate reading into a family’s schedule for a minimum of 15 minutes per day, 3 days per week.

1) Research has shown that reading books aloud to children helps them succeed in school. Build a habit of reading aloud by finding a regular time to read one or two books aloud everyday.

2) Reestablishing family routines such as reading aloud each day is a good way to help children return to the demands of school after a holiday break.

3) When you talk with your child about important ideas or parts of a story you show your child that it is important to think about and understand a story. Readers pay attention to what happens first, next, and last in a story.

Knowing what happens first, next, and last helps a reader understand the story. The end of the day is a good time to talk about what happened first, next, or last. You can invite your child to tell you what happened first, next, and last in a story they read or during their own day.

Asking questions starts a conversation with your child about the book.

For example: Who’s this? Where is he? How is he feeling? I wonder what will happen next. What do you think?

Why is Asking Questions Important?

People ask questions to learn or understand something deeply. Asking questions while reading aloud helps children think and understand more deeply.

Asking questions to your child while reading to them has many benefits, which include the following:

Young children are curious and full of questions. When children ask questions, take time to provide informative answers.

The most important part of reading is making meaning. Readers make meaning when they use words and pictures to think about and understand the book.

What is a Picture Walk?

How to Do a Picture Walk

A picture walk helps a child understand a book. Ask your child to think about the pictures by asking “What is going on here?” or “What do you see?”

For example:

Spending time reading aloud promotes healthy brain growth. Children that are read to more often have better listening skills and know more words.

Reading aloud to your child has many benefits, which include the following:

 

Language and Brain Development
Interactions with adults and the world are the building blocks for language, reading and writing development and reading success in school. Hearing and using language contributes to brain development.

Learning and being able to use many different words (vocabulary) helps students succeed in school. Book sharing introduces children to new and different words.

A person who knows a word understands what the word means. Hearing a word used in a story is a first step to understanding what the word means.

The Benefits of Book Sharing
Book sharing is a way to help children learn and make them want to read. Book sharing can build:

Book sharing has many benefits, which include the following: