New Baby in the House

     Congratulations on your new arrival!

     As you gaze into the eyes of your newborn infant.  You are filled with love and awe.  You are your child's first teacher.  The first five years of your child's life are the most important.  Talk to your child, read to your child.  "Research has now demonstrated that literacy-rich home environments contribute more powerfully to children's early successful literacy development than do excellent preschool and Kindergarten classrooms." (Lenses on Reading, Diane H. Tracey p. 88).
     Research has also shown that "students who are not reading at grade level by the end of the first grade have a 1 in 8 chance of ever catching up to grade level without extraordinary and costly interventions.  These struggling readers become frustrated and drop out at higher rates than their classmates."  (U.S. Department of Education and Teaching Reading by Core).
     So it is up to you. Talk to your child.  Vocabulary development is essential to literacy.  The more you speak from the beginning of your child's life, the better for your child's growth and development.  "Studies have shown that language skills--and even a child's intelligence--is related to how many words an infant hears each day." (http://www.babycenter.com/)
     Read to Your Child.  A literacy rich home needs books--lots of them.  Young children need access to a variety of books.  Cloth and board books are good for babies, who put everything in their mouth.  Also look for books that use touch to teach.  Toddlers and preschoolers adore storybooks, especially ones with word play and predictable phrases.  ABC books, informational stories, nursery rhymes, and fairy tales are also appealing.
     If you don't have a library for your child, start one.  Families don't have to invest a lot of money in materials to have a literacy rich home, they do however, have to invest their time and involvement.  Having a literacy rich home not only develops a love for reading, it develops a love for family.
     Children whose parents frequently talk/read to them know more words by age two than children who have not been talk/read to.  So talk, talk, talk; read, read, read.  Children who have been talk/read to will be willing and ready to learn to read at the right time!
     Be a good example for your new baby.  You want the best for your child.  Give them a chance to be a reader.  This is your chance.  Happy reading!