(Describer) Cartoon children sit reading on a stack of books. A title: Early Readers.

(Describer) A young girl reads as her mother strokes her hair.

(speaker) Reading with your school-aged child

(speaker) Reading with your school-aged child two or three times per week for at least ten minutes two or three times per week for at least ten minutes promotes a love for reading promotes a love for reading and supports a lifelong motivation to read. and supports a lifelong motivation to read. Reading as part of your family routine Reading as part of your family routine or bedtime ritual creates a tradition or bedtime ritual creates a tradition and improves interactions between a parent and a child. and improves interactions between a parent and a child. This tradition should not end This tradition should not end when your child becomes a reader. when your child becomes a reader. The constant exposure to books The constant exposure to books that helped your preschool child understand that helped your preschool child understand relationships between letters and sounds, relationships between letters and sounds, the print features in books, handling books, the print features in books, handling books, and the understanding that print contains meaning and the understanding that print contains meaning still has value for a school-aged reader. still has value for a school-aged reader. Reading to a child after they are a reader Reading to a child after they are a reader will continue to build on their existing skills will continue to build on their existing skills and expand their understanding of bigger concepts and expand their understanding of bigger concepts and increase both their vocabulary and increase both their vocabulary and understanding of complex language patterns. and understanding of complex language patterns. Once children have developed a love of reading, Once children have developed a love of reading, they will worker harder at trying to read they will worker harder at trying to read even when the content is challenging for them. even when the content is challenging for them. Perseverance in reading more challenging books Perseverance in reading more challenging books will continue to build their skills will continue to build their skills and expand their thinking. and expand their thinking. Parent and child reading also works Parent and child reading also works at activating brain areas at activating brain areas related to creating mental pictures related to creating mental pictures of what is happening in the story. of what is happening in the story. Children who have been read a variety of materials Children who have been read a variety of materials develop complex emotions like empathy, joy, develop complex emotions like empathy, joy, anger, and fear. anger, and fear. Experience with complex emotions Experience with complex emotions helps them be successful helps them be successful in their career and relationships. in their career and relationships. Learning about how to handle difficult situations Learning about how to handle difficult situations is often modeled in books, is often modeled in books, and your child will learn how to problem-solve and your child will learn how to problem-solve based on the choices made by the characters. based on the choices made by the characters. If you are reading to your child If you are reading to your child and the character has and the character has a difficult choice or situation, a difficult choice or situation, it offers an opportunity for conversation it offers an opportunity for conversation between parent and child. between parent and child. These conversations can help support These conversations can help support a child's social and emotional health a child's social and emotional health and give children comfort in sharing information and give children comfort in sharing information about challenging exchanges or situations. about challenging exchanges or situations.

(Describer) A classroom.

Test scores are only one measure Test scores are only one measure of a child's academic ability. of a child's academic ability. But all children will take a test in their life. But all children will take a test in their life. Children who are read to Children who are read to tend to have higher test scores tend to have higher test scores due to the fact that they have heard more words due to the fact that they have heard more words and have been exposed to different places and have been exposed to different places and experiences portrayed in books. and experiences portrayed in books. You should continue reading to your school-age child You should continue reading to your school-age child until they no longer find joy in the experience. until they no longer find joy in the experience. The sharing of this experience will build your child's skills, The sharing of this experience will build your child's skills, confidence, and support a positive attitude confidence, and support a positive attitude towards reading. towards reading. It is well worth the effort It is well worth the effort to continue reading to your child to continue reading to your child even after they are in school. even after they are in school.

(Describer) Beside a pond, mother and daughter share a book. Logos appear: Funding provided by the Ohio Broadcast Educational Media Commission, in partnership with the Ohio Department of Education. WOUB Public Media. Copyright 2019. Accessibility provided by the U.S. Department of Education.

Accessibility provided by the U.S. Department of Education. Accessibility provided by the U.S. Department of Education.