Helping Your 3 Year Old to Love Reading

Most parents know by now that learning to read begins before Kindergarten; it starts in the home by reading stories and looking at picture books. One of my professors last semester said something like, "A child needs to be read 1000 stories before they begin to read fluently". Well that may not be exact but one thing that is certain is that early exposure to literature can only benefit your child.

So what if your child doesn't like to read!? Don't worry. I have a simple solution to this that personal experience taught me.

I asked myself, "What do 3 year olds like to do"? Well, they like to play! So, what better way to teach a 3 year old to love reading than to embed reading into their play? By doing this, your child will become excited about reading.

I will give you an example of how to incorporate reading into your child's play.

The 3 year old that didn't like to read, didn't like it because it wasn't stimulating enough. Expressive reading was not enough. She didn't want to sit long enough to read more than 2 pages and if I read to her while she played in her room I was, "distracting her". After realizing that following her around and reading out loud wasn't working, I decided to make a felt board with manipulative, interactive pieces that went with a book.

I got a cardboard poster from WalMart and a large piece of black felt.
I glued the felt to the board.
Example:

I chose a book; Brown Bear Brown Bear, What Do You See?
I got felt that matched the colors of the animals in the book and cut out the animals.

When I finished the project, I presented the board to the 3 year old. That was fascinating enough to get her attention. Then I introduced the manipulative pieces. The 3 year old discovered that the pieces stick to the board and she began maneuvering them around. Finally, I brought out the book and began to read. As I read the book the 3 year old realized the pieces matched the story and began putting them on the board as I read.

Now, that 3 year old loves to read and not just, Brown Bear Brown Bear, What Do You See?

Eventually, if your child enjoys this activity I am sure he/ she will want more pieces for more books and that is a great way to incorporate some risk taking and art. Have your child help you pick out the felt, draw the pieces, and cut them out!

This was just one example of a way to incorporate reading into your child's play. Of course, you know your child best so you know what type of play will get him/ her interested in reading.

Experience before Knowledge

If I gave your 4 year old the word, "apple", and asked him/ her to describe it, what would the answers be?
Fruit
Red
Green
Phone/ computer

If I gave your 4 year old this picture of an apple, and asked him/ her to describe it, what would the answers sound like?

Red
Shiny
spots
stem
fruit
kind of round

If I gave your 4 year old an actual apple, and asked him/her to describe it, what would the answers sound like?
Red
Shiny
Spots
Stem
Fruit
Kind of round/ shaped like a heart
Hard
Soft spots
Seeds
white/ yellow/ brown on the inside
core in the middle
sour
sweet
juicy
smooth

The point here is that a child can learn how to say and spell a word without experiencing it... but does the child understand the meaning of the word? Experience is what gives the child the understanding and meaning of words. Honestly, experience is still what gives most of us clear understandings of words. For example, I can tell you how big and beautiful the Grand Canyon is because I have been there and I have seen and experienced it. However, for someone that has not experienced the Grand Canyon, it is impossible for them to understand exactly how big and beautiful it really is. Words work the same way with young children.
At home it is easier to experience the words you use with your child because everything you discuss with your child is relevant. So as you talk with your child, let them experience what you are discussing.