Talking to your child helps expand vocabulary, develop background knowledge, and inspire a curiosity about the world – all of which help with learning to read! Here are some simple activities you can do at home to get your child ready to read.

What Reading Experts Say

Reading and talking with children plays an important role in developing their vocabulary. Typically, more words are used in written language than in spoken language. The more you read to children, the larger vocabulary they will develop. Research has shown children learn new words by:

Hearing a word over and over.

Hearing words spoken by the important people in their lives: Mom, Dad, siblings, grandparents.

Hearing words in a meaningful context – during conversation at dinner, in the car, while playing and while reading.