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Talking! Singing! Reading! Writing! Playing!
These Ready Readers practices will prepare children for the adventures of reading with
Sno-Isle Libraries. If you're a parent or caregiver to a child under age five, watch
all five videos, where we'll show you simple activities to practice with your child.
Mom: Oh, you're playing the drums. I like that.
You’ve probably heard it said that playing is the work of children. And it’s true that
play serves an important purpose. It is one of the very best ways of learning language
and literacy skills.
[singing] Shake, shake, shake your pasta. Shake, shake, shake your pasta. Shake, shake,
shake your pasta. It will be our dinner.
Play helps children think symbolically. A kitchen whisk becomes a magic wand or microphone,
pots and pans become a drum set. Learning that one object can stand for another is not
far off for realizing that a word on a page can stand for a real object.
[singing] Crawling around, crawling around. Look at all the mice crawling around ...
Kristin: Structured play like this type of game and unstructured play are equally important
in a child's development.
It's time to go look at our porridge. My porridge is all gone.
Well first I gotta say, "Somebody's been eating my porridge." And what do you say?
Someone's been eating my porridge. Now it's your turn.
Someone's been eating my porridge and it's all gone.
When children play and talk about what they are doing, they practice putting thoughts
into words. It also helps them develop narrative skills. Make-believe gives a chance to act
out real situations, work through worries and use imagination to solve problems. Trying
new experiences through play can teach them to keep working when something seems difficult.
Don't spend a lot of money on toys. Kids can do a lot with a stick, a box, or pots, and
pans.
Sno-Isle Libraries has a variety of resources to assist you in raising a reader. Visit our
website to learn more about early literacy. Watch this series of five videos on the five
practices of reading readiness.
And come in the library and play with us today. You’ll be sure to find More to Explore at
Sno-Isle Libraries.
[singing] Twinkle, twinkle, little star. How I wonder what you are. Up above the world
so high. Like a diamond in the sky. Twinkle, twinkle, little star. How I wonder what you
are.