Growing a Reader: Kids' Books, Tips and More

Through everyday activities, such as talking, singing, reading, playing and writing, you can help build language skills and help your child become a reader. Play is my favourite of these activities. Play is a wonderful way for children to learn about the world around them. This knowledge helps them develop skills in understanding books and stories when they begin to read. When children play with books and see them as enjoyable, they are more likely to develop a love of reading.

Here are three fun ways to incorporate play into your child's day that can help them develop literacy skills. These are all activities that should be shared with paren'ts and caregivers.

Play Baby Brain Games

Babies learn about the world around them as they play and interact with different things. You can help encourage this play in fun ways while building their literacy skills. Singing rhymes and songs helps children learn new words and hear the smaller sounds in words, playing alphabet soup helps kids recognize letters and playing match-up games helps your children learn differences in shapes, sizes and patterns. There are many books available at the library about brain games for babies, here are three easy to follow ones: 

Read and Play with Tactile Books

Tactile books, books with bold colours and books with pop-ups are great ways to incorporate sensory play into your baby's day. Many board books for children include tactile elements including textured pages and pop-ups that kids enjoy. If you are looking for books with these elements, if you search the library catalogue for Lift-the-flap books or Toy and movable books you will be presented a list of fun, tactile books children will enjoy. You can also make these books more exciting by building up the anticipation before opening the flaps and changing your voice as you read the book. Sensory books are great for all children, but are especially good choices for children with developmental disabilities.

At Toronto Public Library, we are also very fortunate to be home to the International Board on Books for Young People Collection (IBBY). The IBBY collection features more than 3000 multilingual books in sign language, Braille, Blissymbolics, as well as cloth and tactile books and other formats for and about children and teens with disabilities. The collection is reference only and all books can be enjoyed at the North York Central Library.

Build a Sensory Board 

Build a literacy-rich sensory board using alphabet stickers, tactile books and other objects your child would want to explore. I used some scraps and bought everything else for this board, including the board, from the dollar store (it all cost about $8). Many babies really enjoy playing with this board after my baby time program. I also have another board made of different tactile elements that the babies also enjoy. You can personalize these boards as your child likes to help them learn about different things in a fun way – colours, changing weathers, dinosaurs, etc. Always make sure that an adult is supervising the baby during playing with these boards as there are small parts.

Toronto Public Library's Ready for Reading program is a research-based set of free programs, services and resources designed to help children birth to age five develop the skills needed for reading success. Be sure to check out the Ready for Reading programs being offered at your local library.

You can also check out the Let's Get Ready for Reading Guide, put together by library staff full of many easier, everyday family activities to help kids become readers.