Reading with the Under Fives

by Brenda Casey, Early Years Advisor

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It's never too early to start reading with your child - babies as young as three are stimulated by brightly coloured pictures and will readily focus on them.
Multi sensory cloth books offer young babies particularly enjoyable experiences.
By six months, many babies are ready to listen to a story. They love the musical, soothing sounds of words and will study your facial expressions carefully as you read.
Very early reading experiences play a powerful role in children's reading development, the association between pleasure and books being fundamental to joining the literacy club.
As babies grow into toddlers, they delight in the sound of individual words, and will repeat them enthusiastically. They often have a 'favourite' word, which they never tire of saying.
As time goes by, you will begin to notice that your child's behaviour is changing. He or she will begin to 'read' familiar books independently.
Different children progress through these stages at different rates. Learning to read is not a competition - children quickly sense dissatisfaction in parents, and will react adversely to it.
By the age of four, your child will be happy to recite well known favourite stories, focusing on the words themselves.

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