Reading is a very important part of your child’s education. The key is not just to train or teach your child to read, but to ensure fun and adventure. Here are some tips to keep in mind as you introduce your preschoolers to the wonderful world of reading.

1. Inspire your preschoolers to read every day. If there is more than one child around, encourage them to listen as well. Most children love the company of other young people, however one-on-one reading can be just as fun. Just remember to make the reading experience as fun as possible.

2. Encourage your reader by leading by example. Let him see you reading often, and don’t hesitate to laugh out loud when he reads something funny. Children are naturally curious and you will be surprised how much they value the things you do.

3. Allow Choices: Let your preschooler choose their favorite book(s) to read. Children tend to navigate towards the things that interest them the most. Most of the time, when the reader has a great interest, the attention span will also be a little longer.

4. Alternative Readers – Give your preschooler the option of reading to you if he or she is anxious to do so. Never mind the hums and rumblings of sound as they try to read. Praise and help them as they try to read. You can even give a tip or two by suggesting that they use a finger to trace the words or text from left to right. (This helps by training proper eye navigation for your reader.) Brainstorm other tips as you go, but be careful not to overdo it—after all, they’ve become the little “All-Star” read for now.

5. Explain to your reader(s) that you will also have the option (in turns) to read to them. When it’s your turn to read; Remember that you will also become the reading “All-Star”. You should try to create one of the most fun reads for them! Regulate the tones and pitches of your voice at the appropriate times. For example, if there is a male character in the story, make your voice sound as deep and manly as possible. The same goes for female, boy or girl tones of voice. Also, if there are animals in the story, imitate the appropriate animal sounds and tones. Pay attention to your punctuation marks in the story. For example, raise the pitch of your voice for the mark (!) “Mom said NO! Reading with expression is known to increase comprehension skills in children. The more you read, the more your reading skills will increase.

6. Look at pictures and come up with questions to ask them. This will stimulate children’s creative thinking skills. The pictures also help with their comprehension skills.

7. Make reading a fun adventure. Try to collect a variety of books, poems, songs, CDs, and even puppets. For example, you can demonstrate the arts and fun of reading by playing word games with the books, rhyming games with the poems or fill in the blanks with phonics, compound words, have fun clapping or touching the syllables, putting on a puppet display and use a favorite “fairy tale” book to narrate the skits. Travel to various countries and have fun learning about other children around the world through the cultural experience offered by cultural books. Again, allow for book choices when you mix fun into your preschooler(s) reading experiences.