Here are 4 ways to support your emerging readers in a fun and engaging way.

My number one piece of advice is to follow the child’s interests. You can scaffold books around that-you may start with more non-fiction and move on to find fiction stories that incorporate your child’s favorite subject, from hedgehogs to volcanoes. Brainstorm with your child, and make a list of topics of interest. Rate the topics from 1-10, you might find that you have some shared interests!

Connect with those interests and head to the local library together! Modeling curiosity through reading is a wonderful way to inspire your child to want to know more. Read aloud to your child and model reading yourself.

Offer an inviting place to read at home. Having a designated quiet spot with your child’s favorite colors, pillows and soft furnishings can be an important contributor to encouraging children to read.

Finding appropriate and high-interest books can be a treasure hunt as well. Many emergent readers ask for chapter books and the I Can Read series is a great place to start.(https://www.icanread.com/levels) This series provides a wonderful selection of books at different reading levels. The PBS kids https://pbskids.org/games/reading and the International Children’s Digital Library http://www.childrenslibrary.org are also great online libraries. The El Cerrito Recycling Center has an exchange zone, a great place to find books for all ages if you like a treasure hunt and are in the Bay Area. http://www.el-cerrito.org/956/The-Exchange-Zone Reading cookbooks and making the recipe together is another way to incorporate reading.

Remember, reading is everywhere! Reading can be a door to many other worlds and opening those doors together can be a rewarding process!

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