“And Piglet JUMPED into the pile of leaves!” read Jack’s Daddy over and over and over again. Jack would laugh hysterically as his dad changed his voice each time he read this part of the book. Reading can be fun and Jack learned how much fun it can be at a very young age. Now, Daddy reads poetry to Jack every night before bed and they still laugh at all the silly word play. I encourage parents to notice how their children respond during the read-aloud. Chances are if the parents are having fun when they are reading, their kids are too!
Early readers with word patterns and rhyming words are helpful ways to foster beginning literacy skills. Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See? by Eric Carle and Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed were some of Jack’s personal favorites when he was a seedling reader.