Everyday Phonics
ABC Phonics
Infants:
Talk, read, and sing to infants—they
learn from everything they see and hear even in the first stages of life.
Take your baby to the park, zoo, and the
store with you. Bring her attention to objects, signs, and people.
Always make books a part of your baby's
toy selection, even if he enjoys handling books more than being read to. As your child
grows, point out pictures of objects and offer their names. Eventually, your child will be
able to name the pictures, too.
Encourage associations between symbols
and their meaning—as they get closer to toddler-hood, children may begin to recognize
familiar signs for products and logos for cereal or fast food restaurants.
Toddlers:
Help toddlers make the transition from
baby talk to adult language by repeating their words and expressions correctly without
reprimanding them.
Let toddlers "read" their
favorite picture books by themselves while you remain close by to comment. Or, pause
before a familiar word as you read to your toddler, and let her fill in the missing word.
This works especially well with rhymes or repeated refrains.
Provide magnetic and block letters to
introduce a toddler to the spelling of his name.
Before you take your toddler on a new
type of outing, read about the events you are about to witness. Talk with your child about
the experience, and follow up with further reading to reinforce learning.
Preschoolers:
Add new books to your child's collection,
but keep reading old favorites. Your preschooler may know them by heart now—this
represents an important step in learning about reading.
Continue to take children shopping with
you, and let them help identify products with coupons. Let preschool children join in as
you follow a recipe.
Take books on long trips with you to
encourage reading as entertainment.
School-age children:
Continue to read to your child, even if
she has learned to read already. Take turns reading pages of your favorite books.
Encourage story writing by listening to
the stories children tell.
Play word games like Scrabble or Boggle
with children and introduce them to crossword puzzles.
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