Reading from a Young Age Matters

A picture is the first content of a book that a child can „read“. Thanks to pictures, a child can understand a story without knowing how to read, interpreting the main figures/animals, the environment, and the situations from the visuals. From illustrated facial expressions and body language the child can also tell emotions.

Enjoying a good book raises a love and passion that is necessary for prereading skills.

Letters all around your home

Babies a few months old can differentiate shapes. For them letters are simply another shape like a triangle, tree or a sun. Try to include them in your home as much as possible. How?

Decorate your home with 2 letters, after some time change one for another one.
Arrange letters using carrot or cucumber peels while preparing vegetables with your child.
Draw letters in sand.

Rhyme as much as possible

A large knowledge of nursery rhymes helps children realize that words are made up of separate sounds.

Read illustrated books with your child from an early age – describe pictures, shapes, colours, and emotions.
Find, describe and match objects that rhyme such as spoon - moon, cat - hat, dog - frog.
Enjoy nursery rhyme books such as "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?", "The Going to Bed Book", "The Snail and the Whale", ...

Use baby sign language

Support your child in being an active reader or a communication partner by teaching them baby signs. Baby signs are simple gestures substituted for words. Mastering baby signs helps the child to build self-esteem and increases the joy of being able to express themselves.

Around 1 year, your child will be able to „tell“ you that he/she sees a cat, sun, wants to drink milk or feels pain. ”Baby signers show early signs of loving books and they are able to master prereading skills at early age.“

So, let your child jump onto your lap and read together! Such moments significantly help to develop:

Attention: giving children face to face interaction and being playful helps children pay attention better and longer.
Bonding: learning and memory are enhanced in a secure and loving environment which positively influences the primal parts of a child’s brain.
Communication: loving communication with your child increases their ability to speak and read soon

Lenka Míkovcová – IMSP Primary Teacher Assistant

Want to learn more? Read our next article:

ABSORBENT MIND – A KEY PRINCIPLE IN MONTESSORI

References:

Bright from the start, Jill Stamm, PhD, Paula Spencer, Gotham Books, 2007
Baby Minds – Linda Acredolo, Susan Goodwyn / Bantam Books, 2000

Gallery
Comments

Další články

Holiday Baking With Your Toddler

It's beginning to look a lot like winter - with first frosts and early dark, but also bright twinkling lights and seasonal decorations wherever you look. Is it any wonder that we populate the long, cold nights of December with candle light, evergreens and the smells of a myriad festive treats? So many delicious flavours belong firmly at the close of the year - hot chocolate and sweet tea, spiced pies, delicate cookies and savoury roasts, all keeping us cozy and warm as well as full.

Understanding your child's inner sense of order

Have you ever noticed that your child enjoys singing the same song over and over again, or wants you to repeat the same story for what feels like a million times? Dr. Montessori highlighted the importance of sensitive periods in children, which are known as windows of opportunities for children to develop skills, including movement, language and most definitely, order. A child’s need for external order is present as early as childbirth and peaks in their second year, before fading at about the age of 5. This period of development helps a child to develop a connection between themselves and the world, process information and overcome challenges.

Help! How Can I bring Montessori Into my Home?

You may see your child doing all kinds of productive work at school and then it seems that they are a completely different child at home. Does this happen to you? Toys lying all around the house and maybe your child does not want to clean up, or perhaps you are stuck with a sink full of dishes after dinner with no offers to help. There are some simple adjustments and additions that can easily be made in your home which will help you and your family build a happier and more cooperative household.

The toddler who won’t

We all know the scene: a frustrated parent, a child that refuses to listen and do as they’re told, the fight that no‑one wins.

Our Life in Lockdown

We have all had our fair share of complaining about the situation we have found ourselves in since last Spring, but in this article, I wanted to concentrate on the positives this has brought to us.