Getting your toddler starting to read can be fun!

It is a well know fact that young children with an active exposure to language

have many social and educational advantages over their peers. One of the best

methods to beginner reading is learning at least 100 sight words so that your child

can begin to form easy sentences.

Little Reader Blocks make this "task" both fun and educational. These bright 3" cubes are color coded: green/nouns, blue/verbs, red/pronouns, yellow/adjectives and white/prepositions. As your child begins to recognize several different words you can begin to separate those blocks from the group and have the child make a simple sentence - or you can make up the sentence for him and ask him to read the words.

But, before your child can read independently, he/she will need a set of skills called emergent literacy skills. These skills include - having a large vocabulary of words and knowing how to use them as well as understanding that words are made up of smaller sounds (known as phonemic awareness) and understanding that” marks” on a page represent letters and words. Your child will also need to know the letters of the alphabet. Using these Little Reader Blocks in your child's educational development will help lay a foundation for later independent reading.

As a parent or teacher it is important to never under estimate the importance of books and reading aloud to your child. Sitting down with a child one-on-one or in a group will also help bond your relationship with the child/children. Reading to your child/children will help them make the transition to more advanced reading.

Between the ages of 1 and 3, your child will have triumphs as well as many reading challenges. You, as a parent or teacher, can help your child in this transition as you read stories about other kids and how they handle situations they, themselves, face each day. A child will relate well to another child who also has things that are hiding under their bed, potty training issues, sharing toys and books with other children and much more.

Thinking back to my childhood I can still remember going to the library. I can still remember the excitement of arriving at the big brick building and all the beautiful weeping willow trees scattered through out the massive yard of green grass. I can still picture the room where all the exciting books were waiting for me. To this day I love going to the library (and any book store I pass by).

You to, as a parent or teacher, will want to instill this love of reading to your toddler and young child. I believe it is never too early to take your child to the library. Show him all the exciting books and displays. Help him select a book or two and sit down with him and read with him. Talk about the pictures and all the new adventures he is reading about and help him select some books to take home.

And please do not forget to ask about the special programs the library will be sponsoring for you child’s age group. Libraries often have special guest speakers, story times, magicians, and movie nights and may more activities available for toddlers and young children.

Instill in your child a love of going to the library and it will stay with him the rest of his life. It did for me!