A Diet Rich in Language
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None of us could imagine letting our children go hungry. We give them the food they need, because it is
essential to their growth and health.
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We would never dream of letting them eat only junk food and nothing else, even though they LOVE sweets,
because we know it has little value to give them the nutrients they need.
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Let’s think of the same idea with regards to literacy. If we want their little minds to grow and thrive, we must
give them a diet rich in language experiences!
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Just as we are sure to provide them with the food needed to grow healthy, let’s also be sure to give them what
their minds need to become literate and knowledgeable, as well.
Why are we here?
• to share some tools to help you “cook up” a
home-life rich in literacy
• to share some ideas to help “serve up” some
fun with your family
“I am not a teacher!”
• Some of you may be
thinking ‘I am not a
teacher! Where do I
start?”
• I’ll have you know,
you ARE a teacher:
your child’s very first
teacher!!!
• And, of course, we
always start at the
beginning…
Starting from birth, your child learns about the world
around her, from YOU;
through all the experiences you give her!
What’s on the menu for babies?
To give babies a diet rich in language you should:
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sing lullabies & folk songs
play “Pat-a-Cake” rhythms; say “Mother Goose” rhymes
choose brightly colored books with simple pictures
point out objects & people in pictures, say their names
choose peek-a-boo books with flaps & textures to feel- use describing words
such as “The lion’s mane is fuzzy.”
vary the tone of your voice, make funny faces
keep sessions brief, but read daily
most importantly, hold your baby on your lap.
They will begin to make a connection between books & what they love mostyour voice & closeness to YOU!
What’s on the menu for toddlers?
To give toddlers a diet rich in language you should:
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know that spoken language develops during these formative years
TALK to your child as much as possible
ask questions that require more than just a “yes” or “no” answer
- ask “Which pot is the biggest?”; “What color is your shirt?”; “Which leaves are the same?”
take time to answer your child’s endless “why” questions; answer them simply but don’t “baby it
down”
- use big, grown-up words whenever possible
- if children never hear “big” words, it is much more difficult for them to be able to read them
later on
- be silly, say “I think I will drive the vehicle to the store. I am too exhausted to walk.”
expose your child to varied experiences
- trips to the library, zoo, museum
- backyard picnics, walks in the park, visits with relatives & friends
- “serve up” these events with lots of comments, questions, & answers
What’s on the menu for toddlers?
To give toddlers a diet rich in language you should:
6) READ books with repeating phrases or rhyming poems
- follow the words with your finger so your child will begin to connect the story with the words
- pause and let your child fill in the blank; “Brown Bear, Brown Bear, what do you see? I see a ______.”
- always READ with emphasis; “become the character”; use silly voices
7) encourage your child to “read” to you. He may make up a story about the pictures or even memorize the story.
8) “act out” the parts of the story; be the train in “The Little Engine That Could”
9) encourage your child to “write”
- have an area set up with paper, pencils, markers, crayons, envelopes
- her words may not even resemble real words, but praise her efforts
10) if your child misspeaks, correct his errors by repeating his words correctly
- if he says “We goed to the store.” Simply say, “We went to the store, didn’t we.”
11) let your children see you reading and writing
- they will emulate you!
What’s on the menu for preschoolers & kindergarteners?
To give these children a diet rich in language you should:
1) know that this is the age when children begin to connect the spoken word with the
written word
- research shows that the more experiences children have with spoken language,
the more successful they’ll be at reading & writing
2) hang store-bought or, better yet, hand-made alphabet posters on the walls
3) label the things in your home-“DOOR”, “BED”
- label your child’s pictures; If they draw a dog, write “This is a dog,” while reading
your words aloud
4) play word games
- “I Spy” using colors or direction words; “I spy something with my eye; it’s under
the pillow and it is blue”
- “Simon Says” using direction words; “Simon says put your hand behind your
head
5) use a “Picky Puppet” – again store-bought or hand-made sock puppet
- this puppet is picky and only likes things that begin with the letter “T”
- have your child take the puppet to find things that “Picky” would like most
- each day have the puppet pick a new letter
6) make up silly rhymes “Today it is sunny and that’s funny for the bunny who likes h___.”
- let your child fill in the blank
What’s on the menu for preschoolers & kindergarteners?
To give these children a diet rich in language you should:
7) have your child help you make a grocery list; as you write down each
item, say the word aloud, and stretch out the sounds as you spell
“mmm-iii-lll-kkk”
8) help extend your child’s vocabulary
- if they say, “Look at this tower I built!” Say “Oh, I love the tall, green
tower you built with lots of doors & windows!”
9) cut out pictures from magazines/ junk mail or use real objects & say
“Which one doesn’t belong: the shoe, the orange, or the apple?”
- after your child answers help him categorize by pointing out that
the orange & apple are both fruits
10) play a “Clue Game”; “I am cold. I am made of water. You’ll find me
in the freezer. What am I?”
11) listen to music, sing songs, & dance
12) give your child “homework”
- let him copy letters or words from books or newspapers while
you’re making dinner
What’s on the menu for preschoolers & kindergarteners?
To give these children a diet rich in language you should:
13) READ various stories to them
- pictures dictionaries, like the one written by Richard Scarry
- fun rhyming books, like Dr. Seuss
- stories with lots of repeating phrases, “The Three Billy Goats Gruff”
- simple non-fiction books to gain information, like “What Am I?”
14) make the books interesting
- change your voice to sound like the character; be dramatic
- ask questions “I wonder what will happen next!” Or “Do you know what a palace is?”
- if you think she doesn’t know, pause & take the time to explain it
- answer any questions she has
- if you don’t know the answer, say “I don’t know, but we can look it up.”
15) have your child make up and tell stories aloud
- help him express himself by asking “And what happens then?” Or “What kind of ship was it?”
16) use the TV to help develop language
- turn on the TV captions so your child sees the words being spoken
- watch educational shows, such as “Between the Lions”
17) let your children catch you reading & writing
- You are their model!
- They will copy what you do!
What’s on the menu for 1st and 2nd graders?
To give these children a diet rich in language you should:
1) know that this is the age of beginning readers, developing into emergent readers, where they begin to think about what they’re
reading and not just on how to read the words
2) take turns making up silly stories
- one person says a word or sentence; another person has to continue the story by adding a new word or sentence
3) tell jokes; they LOVE it!!!
4) make up silly sentences using homonyms “Can you watch a watch? What makes a pop pop?”
5) find pictures in newspapers, magazines, & junk mail
- have your child cut them out & write a caption, sentence, or simple story about the pictures
6) write simple notes to your child; “I hope you like your peanut butter & jelly sandwich.”
- leave notes at holidays, for example, to help your child find his Easter basket; leave clues at various places around the
house: “You might find me under the place where your brother sleeps”. Or “Perhaps I’ll be in the place where you bake
cakes.” One clue leads to another until the basket is finally found.
7) set up an area for writing materials: pencils, paper, markers, envelopes, cards, etc.
- let your child write letters to relatives; encourage them to write back
- make a picture dictionary of words written & illustrated by your child
- don’t be overly concerned with misspellings, she is just learning.
What’s on the menu for 1st and 2nd graders?
To give these children a diet rich in language you should:
8) let your child have fun at bath time
- use bath crayons to write on the tub; wipes off easily
- let your child wash his body parts in ABC order; first your arms, then your back; then your chin
9) READ a variety of selections
- fiction books, funny books, riddles, poetry, non-fiction books, magazines, newspapers, beginning dictionaries
- give books or magazines as gifts
10) know what to do if your beginning reader is struggling
a) take turns; you read a sentence or page; your child reads a sentence or page
b) if she is “stuck” on a word”, do the following:
- ask your child to skip the word, read the rest of the sentence, then say the word that would make sense in the sentence
- guide your child to use what she knows about letters sounds; “Get your mouth ready to say the first sound.”
- look at the picture for clues
- tell them the correct word
c) discuss the stories and do fun projects to extend learning
- ask your child to tell what happened in the beginning, the middle, & the end
- ask them to tell about his favorite part or character
- read a story half way through, then stop & have him predict what will happen in the next part
d) discuss problems with your child’s teacher. Ask for help
11) let them see you reading
- if you read & write, they will also!
What’s on the menu for 3rd – 6th graders?
To give these children a diet rich in language you should:
1) know that kids at this age are independent readers, searching for meaning from the text
2) make up stories about the people you see around you- passing by in a car, walking down the street; “Are they
super heroes? Secret agents?”
3) introduce “What is It?” game; think of a new word & ask your child to guess the definition
- “Is a HALIBUT a game, a fish, or a person?”
4) introduce “Guess the Word” game; open the dictionary and find a word your child already knows.
-read the definition & see if your child can guess the word
5) motivate your child to do chores
- have her write out a “To Do” chore list
- when chores are completed, have her write a “Ta Da” list to show the work she has finished
- reward her with “literary rewards”; an extra story at bedtime
6) let your child help with cooking
- help plan menu, write shopping lists, read recipes, & help with cooking while being monitored by mom
or dad
What’s on the menu for 3rd – 6th graders?
To give these children a diet rich in language you should:
7) let your child help you design a “Home Library”
- allow her to come up with a name for your library
- include book crates, shelves, baskets
- allow her to help organize & write signs for the different materials: fiction, non-fiction, reference
8) use TV & movies
- while watching commercials, have your child write a slogan or jingle for the product or have him invent a product of his
own
- use the TV Guide; have him highlight one or two programs he wants to watch and explain why he chose them; this will
help plan & limit the amount of time spent watching TV
- have him keep a weekly TV log & write down 5 unfamiliar words heard or seen during the week; have him look up the
words in the dictionary & discuss them
- discuss the plot of TV shows & movies
- write a review of the show/ movie; Would he recommend it to a friend?
- point out when the characters in the TV shows/ movies are writing and reading; secret codes, messages in bottles, treasure
maps, etc.
- see if his favorite book has been made into a movie & compare the two
- have him pretend to be a news reporter. Interview & report to your family.
What’s on the menu for 3rd – 6th graders?
To give these children a diet rich in language you should:
9) make use of reference materials:
a) phone book- flip through the yellow pages, choose a business, & write a clever or
funny ad
b) maps- help map your way on vacations & trips; help plan places to visit
c) newspapers- read an editorial; underline facts in red & opinions in blue
10) know that often, the older your child gets, the less she may want to talk; what can you
do?
- share personal stories of your childhood & family; reminisce about family vacations,
holidays, and things that happened at school when you were little
- the more you tell about yourself, the more likely she’ll open up also
- design an “Under-the-Pillow” journal; write messages to her & leave it under her
pillow; write short notes, ask questions about her life, her friends, her feelings, etc.
Encourage her to write back & put it under your pillow.
- How many times have you heard this?
Parent: “What did you do at school today?”
Child: “Nothin’ “
- Rather than asking, request an action “Teach me what you learned at school today!”
You’ll soon realize just how much your child is learning!
What’s on the menu for 3rd – 6th graders?
To give these children a diet rich in language you should:
11) READ a variety of books: “How to” books, tales of wondrous adventures, folktales, funny tales, nonfiction books, books about everyday things, etc.
- although they can read independently, they still enjoy being read to; Have them listen, ponder,
make comments, & ask questions.
- read aloud stories that are a little beyond your child’s own reading capabilities
- they love stories that provoke feelings: books that make them laugh, cry, shiver, and gasp
- after reading a story aloud, YOU (the parent) retell the story, change a part, & see if they notice;
“Did Laura Ingalls Wilder really move to a little spaceship on the prairie?”
- have your child rewrite the ending of a recently read story
- after reading informational/ non-fiction books, have them complete a project; build or make
something related to the selection
12) let them see you reading
- if you lead by showing them examples of what they should be doing, then they will follow!
What can I buy to spice up my
child’s reading?
Remember these three B’s:
1) Buy books- personalize them with your child’s name. Make it a
treasure by putting the date.
- Studies show that high achieving readers own 10 times
more books than low achieving readers.
- Where to buy low-cost books: yard sales, library book
sales, second-hand stores
2) Buy book baskets
- place containers of books in virtually every room of the
house
- put them in prime spots for easy access
3) Buy a bed lamp or reading light
- say “We think you’re old enough to stay up later and read
in bed. We bought you this little lamp & we’re going to
leave it on for an extra 15 minutes (depending on age of
child), if you want to read. Of course, if you don’t want to
read- that’s okay too. We’ll just turn out the lights at the
regular time.”
- Most children will do anything to stay up later- even
READ!
“Jonathan and His Mommy”
by Irene Smalls
• The book “Jonathan and
His Mommy” is one of the
best stories I’ve seen on
how parents can provide
“a diet rich in language.”
• Without using a drop of
money, Jonathan’s
mommy manages to
extend his vocabulary
and help him learn about
the world around him!
Top Hot Items on the Literacy Menu:
Top 5 Tips to Raise a Reader
1) TALK to your child
- from birth, spoken language helps to develop their vocabulary which translates to better readers
2) Provide your child with opportunities to READ & WRITE
- text materials: books, newspapers, magazines, junk mail
- writing materials: paper, pencils, markers, crayons, cards, envelopes
- organize a place to read: shelves, baskets, crates, reading light, a quiet place to sit
3) Visit the LIBRARY- it’s FREE!!!
- the librarian can help you choose books for your child
- “Just Right” books are books that are just right for your child’s level of reading; an easy rule-of-thumb: have your child
read the first page of any book; if he misses more than 5 words, then the book is probably too difficult for him to read
independently; choose another book.
4) Talk to your child’s teacher to gain additional tips.
- Remember we’re in this partnership to help your child learn & grow!
5) READ to and with your child every day! Show your child how important literacy is, by reading and writing within your child’s
view. Let them “catch you” reading.
THE BEST WAY TO PRODUCE A LIFE-LONG, LITERATE LEARNER IS TO MODEL WHAT ONE LOOKS LIKES!
Okay chefs, it’s time to go cook up some literacy fun for your family!
Sources for my presentation:
–ideas from parents and teachers
–research from various books and
professional publications
–resources on the internet