Tips And Facts On Early Reading - NOLA Family Magazine

Tips to Raising a Reader

1. Read to your infant (even newborn!) regularly—Nursery rhymes & lullabies.

-use emotion in your voice

-show pictures

2. Read to your toddler and preschooler for at least 30 minutes per day.

-ask your child questions about what you’re reading

-let her “pretend read” areas where she’s memorized the story

-point out letters and, when she’s older, words

3. Visit your local library for story times and get assistance from librarians on appropriate book selections for your child.

4. Let your children see YOU reading, and enjoying it.

5. Don’t push a child beyond her developmental ability—you want to foster a love of reading, not a resentment of it.

6. Turn off the TV and encourage reading instead.

7. Have a variety of reading materials in your home—magazines, encyclopedias, newspapers, and lots of books! Visit the library often for a constant supply of books.

8. Once your children ARE reading, make sure the books they read are appropriate for their reading level—if they get frustrated, they won’t enjoy it.

Fun Facts

We found a great blog (from the University of Southern California) that, in celebration of March into Reading Month, looks at some fun facts behind some of the most beloved children’s books. One of our favorite tidbids? That Maurice Sendak initially intended to feature horses in Where the Wild Things Are, but he was unable to render those animals well so instead he drew caricatures of his aunts and uncles.

Library Storytimes

A great way to foster a life-long love of books and reading in your child is to participate in your library’s weekly storytime! Here’s a guide to the locations and storytimes for the New Orleans Public Library and its branches. Please note that the times and dates change often so you might want to call the individual library branch for hours and to confirm the storytime information. You can also visit the library’s main website.

Main Library

219 Loyola Ave., New Orleans

phone: 504.596.2560

Babyjam (0-3 yrs old): Saturdays at 10:30 am; Book-based craft (5-11 yrs. old) Saturdays at 11:30 am

Alvar Branch

913 Alvar St., New Orleans

phone: 504.596.2667

storytime: Mondays at 10 am, Saturdays at 10:30 am

Central City Branch

2405 Jackson Avenue, Building C, Room 235 (in the Mahalia Jackson Center)

phone: 504.596.3110

storytime: Wednesdays at 9:30 am*