IMG_0036 Yesterday I asked my Facebook friends a question: “When you think about parents doing all the right things to make sure their kids are ready to learn, what do you think of? I began the list with talking to children all the time. Kids learn their language skills from hearing and responding to speech. Some homes don’t engage in more than “business talk” which is “Eat your dinner,” or “Don’t hit your sister.” Meaningful language asks the child questions and engages in conversation about all the events of the day.

The list of wonderful parenting skills grew. Friends listed things like reading aloud to children every day, doing fun extensions after reading books. One great Mom talked about reading the Frog and Toad books and then going to a pond to find polliwogs. That’s good parenting. Others listed things like listening to children, eating meals together, speaking encouraging words and keeping open-ended play materials available. Parents, you are your child’s first and most influential teacher. So your home is the launching pad for their learning. Go on nature hikes, read great books together, talk about important things– the beauty all around, building friendships, working and playing, the joy of learning. Your attitudes become your child’s attitudes. Your priorities will be theirs. Homegrown Readers is all about making reading a priority in the home. It’s about building a literacy-rich home. What would you add to the list of great parenting? What do you do to encourage learning and love of learning? Homegrown Readers: Simple Ways to Help Your Child Learn to Read is available at Barnes and Noble and Amazon.