It’s National Book Month, which means there is no better time to help your child develop a love for learning through reading. Children who read are more likely to perform better in all school subjects. They have larger vocabularies and are more confident in their academic career. Reading is fundamental for children of all ages. The toddler and preschool years are the best time to help your child develop a love of reading. Read on for some great tips to help your child fall in love with reading and learning.

Make It Fun

If you make reading seem like a chore, your child is likely going to treat it like a chore. Reading should be another form of playtime. Show your child that reading is a special time for you to spend together. Choose a special place like a cozy chair or hammock to cuddle and read a book. Read stories in exciting voices to make the characters come to life and enhance your child’s experience. Kids today are used to videos and apps, so anything you can do to make the story more exciting is a plus!

Discuss and Extend

After you have finished the book, have a discussion with your child. Talk about parts they did or did not like. Analyze choices the characters made. Ask your child questions about setting and the plot. Kids love to share their opinion and getting them to talk about what they read will help with comprehension. Once you have finished a story, see what connections you can make. If the characters in the book baked cookies, make cookies. If they created an art project, let your child do a similar project. Making connections with the book strengthens comprehension. It also gets your child excited about what happens in the story.

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Sweater weather often inspires us to curl up with a book and read. Research has shown that reading to your child is the most straightforward way to increase vocabulary. This is likely due to more words are used in language that’s written than spoken. Reading aloud is one of the many ways to increase your child’s vocabulary. With the air cooling and fall descending, it’s the ideal time of year to play daily vocabulary activities for preschoolers.

Children learn vocabulary easily and quickly. It’s the repetitive use of the child’s vocabulary in daily situations that encourages curiosity and proper use. The more often your preschooler gets to use a word, the more that word will become a part of everyday vocabulary. According to statistics, preschoolers learn new words when they:

• Hear a word many times on lots of occasions

• Hear family members use words in conversation

• Hear words used often at home such as during dinner, while riding in the car, or as part of interactive play

It’s important to increase your child’s vocabulary through other ways other than reading. A sit-down session isn’t necessary to teach vocabulary to preschoolers. While your child will develop their language at Wilmington preschool, the greatest gains for your child’s speech and language development will happen during everyday activities at home. You’ll find building your child’s vocabulary is as simple as expanding on concepts your child is already aware of.

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Our ultimate goal as parents is to prepare our children to face the world and hope that they help to make it a better place.

September is National Courtesy Month. The American culture is so fast and impersonal these days that it is easy to forget the rules of politeness that once governed our society. Take advantage of this month’s focus on courtesy as a chance to teach your children skills that will let them reap lifelong benefits.

You’re their First Teacher

Children aren’t born knowing how to hate. They aren’t inherently rude. In fact, children are born with an innate need to please their parents. That being said, bad habits are often learned from their environment.

The good news? You are your child’s first teacher. Encouraging good habits and manners from day one can set your child up for success. Even before your child says their first words, they are observing the customs of their environment. If you want them to say “please,” “thank you”, and “excuse me”, do so in front of them. Be courteous to others.

National Courtesy Month is also a good time to reflect on your own habits. Hold open doors and hand out compliments.

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If you wait until kindergarten to start your child in formal education, your child may already be behind. Studies show the benefits of early childhood education for children who go to preschool have a head start on those who do not.

Short-Term Benefits of Early Learning

There are immediate benefits when providing your child with an early learning opportunity to close the preschool gap. One of the best reasons to go this route is to introduce your child to formal learning.

While much of the learning is done through play, it still has a purpose. Your child will develop an understanding of the difference between play and learning play. They will also have the chance to learn in a group and become comfortable with the school setting.

Learning is easier for young children whose brains absorb all the information they can. A report by the National Center for Education Statistics show 65 percent of children between four and five could recognize shapes and numbers. Other preschool vs. no preschool statistics support this finding. Preschool age children are often readier to learn than what parents might expect.

Long-Term Benefits of Preschool

There are long term benefits of early childhood education as well as short-term. It is important because it sets them up for success through their 12 years of school. They can develop a positive view about learning and understand that it is fun and a necessary part of life. It erases the feeling of being behind classmates who have had formal learning. It also helps erase the preschool achievement gap.

You cannot overlook the value of self-confidence in children. A child who knows the alphabet, how to write their name, and count will enjoy going to school more. If they struggle in kindergarten, chances increase they will continue to do so as they grow.

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As August and September dawn on Wilmington, Delaware, back-to-school time is in full swing. Preschoolers who’ve never stepped foot in a classroom are now ready to experience learning on a whole new level. Mom, dad and preschoolers are nervous, so it’s a good idea to prepare well ahead of time for this milestone. Go over these back-to-school tips for preschool parents to make the transition smooth. Discovering school and friends is part of the growing-up process.

Begin the Routine Early On

Jump-starting the school year on the very first day of preschool isn’t the best plan because there’s too much change in one day. Help your child with the countdown to school by starting a morning routine several weeks beforehand. Get up at the same time as you would for preschool. Create a bedtime schedule that mimics the best time before a school day. Your child will get used to this routine without any school involved at first. As a result, the first day of school will feel almost like a normal routine with only one addition.

Learn Who’s in the Class

Walking into a classroom with 15 or 20 new faces to address is hard for anyone, more so for a three- or four-year-old child. Contact the school and ask about the class roster. Then, if possible, contact a few names on the roster. Set up a meeting time with one or two children prior to the first day of school. Meet up at the park or other public location so that the kids can get to know each other. Out of all the back-to-school ideas for parents, this simple gesture saves many children from an anxiety-filled first day in school.

Discover the School

The school is your next challenge because the physical surroundings will be brand new to your child. To help with this, consider a tour of the facility. Many institutions offer tours for new students as a way to break the ice with everyone involved. Your child can see the classroom before it’s filled with children. This can make a huge difference on the first day of school.

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