How to Create a Home Library

So you completed the Home Literacy Checklist and found out that your child's literacy environment could use some improvement.  What do you do now?  Create a home library!

This article from Reading Rockets gives you some great tips on getting started.  There's no need to go buy a bunch of brand-new books- there are many ways you can start up a library without spending a lot of money.

Finding books

• Become a treasure hunter! Browse book store sales, garage sales, flea markets, used book stores, and sales at your local library
• Organize a children's book swap with friends, community groups, or your school
• Encourage family and friends to give books as gifts for birthdays, holidays, and other celebrations
• Don't forget quality nonfiction and children's magazines!

Building your library

• A cardboard box or small wooden packing crate that you can decorate together might make a good bookcase. Or you might clear one of the family bookshelves.
• Pick a special place for your child's books so that she knows where to look for them - in a cozy corner of your child's bedroom or close to where the rest of the family gathers and reads if your child is very social.
• Help your child to arrange her books in some order - her favorite books, books about animals, or holiday books. Use whatever method will help her most easily find the book she's looking for.
• "This book belongs to…" Bookplates give your child a sense of ownership and can add "newness" to a used book. You can make your own or download and print one of these colorful designs by children's book illustrators.
• If you and your child make your own books together, you can add those to your home library.
• Borrow books from your local library. Go to the children's section and spend time with your child reading and selecting books to take home and put in her special spot. You might even have a box or space just for library books, so that they don't get mixed up with your child's own books.

Is Your Home Literacy Friendly?

According to Get Ready to Read!, learning to read begins way before a child enters school.  As a child's first teacher, parents can ensure that children are exposed to things that promote strong pre-reading skills.  Wondering what you can do to establish a supportive environment for your child's reading at  home? 

This checklist provided by Get Ready to Read! helps you to identify what supportive strategies and what you can improve upon.   The checklist has you answer "true" or "false" to items such as:

• I or another adult in the house read a picture book with my child at least once a week.
• I or another adult in the house help my child learn to write letters of the alphabet.
• My child has at least one alphabet book (e.g., Dr. Seuss's ABC book).
• My child sees me or another adult in the house reading books, magazines or the newspaper at least once a week.

After completing the survey, count up the number of items marked as "true."  The scoring guide gives you an idea of how you are doing:

30 - 37 Home literacy environment has most of the necessary supportive elements

20 - 29 Home literacy environment has many supportive elements

11 - 19 Home literacy environment has some supportive elements

0 - 10 Home literacy environment needs improvement

Online Games for Early Literacy Skills

Online games can be a fun, interactive way for young children to learn the skills they will need in order to begin reading.  Get Ready to Read! has games that address three levels of early literacy skills.  

Gus and Inky’s Underwater Adventure This game is a great way for young children to be introduced to rhyming words, practice word recognition, and learn letter names and sounds.

Rhyme Time  Kids can develop their rhyming skills by helping Gus write his first hip-hop song.

Wild Word Round Up  In this game, children learn to listen for the sounds in words.  The game provides practice in skills like sound blending and identifying beginning and ending sounds

Raising Readers Video

    

I recently came acoss a video called "Raising Readers" at GetReadytoRead.org. 

According to the website, the Get Ready to Read! program works to build the early-literacy skills of pre-school age children.

The video shows some fun activites that parents can do with their young children who are getting ready to read.  Activities include playing listening games, reading before bedtime, and making your own books.  Practicing these skills at home will give children a jump-start in thier literacy skills and will help to instill a love of reading in these future students.