The following article is provided courtesy of Scholastic Inc. and thought it was important to remind you of all the fun you can have with your child while learning to read at the same time!  Principal Pickhinke

Tips for Encouraging Early Literacy

Encourage your child's literacy skills — well before he learns to read!

• Reading together, playing together, and just enjoying each other's company will all go a long way toward building pre-reading skills.

• Form a close bond. This one is easy! Your relationship with your child is very important to his ability to learn. If you are interactive, close and loving, your child will reap the rewards.

• Get in on the fun. Being a participant at playtime can bring you closer and help you learn useful information about your child's habits and emotions.

• Tell tales. Build narrative skills by gathering family members at meal times and having them tell the story of their day.

• Play rhyming games to build phonemic awareness ... and just for fun.

• Bring reading and writing into everyday life. Encourage literacy in your child's daily routines by writing thank-you notes or making shopping lists together.

• Be attentive and engaged when you communicate with your child.

• Read together. Make story time a daily ritual that your child can count on and look forward to.