[January 4, 2010]
 It takes a village to raise a child, and it apparently takes a similar effort to teach reading skills.
Mansfield ISD, Mansfield Sunrise Rotary Club, and Methodist Mansfield Medical Center will ring in 2010 by helping boost children's literacy right from the start through a new Read to Me infant book program.
Newborns at Methodist Mansfield Medical Center will receive a free book that can be read to and shared with siblings. The combined efforts of Mansfield ISD, Mansfield Sunrise Rotary Club, and Methodist Mansfield Medical Center was born out of the hope to raise the number of children who become capable and enthusiastic lifelong readers.
“Reading aloud to your baby is a wonderful shared activity you can continue for years, and it's an important form of stimulation,” says Laura Irvine, president of Methodist Mansfield.
Foundations for growth
Research shows that the more children hear stories read aloud and the more words and sounds a child is exposed to, the more enhanced their ability for language and speaking will be. Parents who read to their children foster social and emotional development.
“Reading to children is a great and easy way to build early literacy skills,” says Bob Morrison, MISD superintendent. “It lays the foundation for communication; builds listening, memory, and vocabulary skills; and introduces numbers, letters, colors, and shapes in a fun way.”
Language skills improve when babies imitate sounds, recognize images, and learn words. But by far the most important reason to read aloud is to make a connection between parent and child.
“We are very excited to plant a love for reading in the minds of the area's youngest residents,” says Todd Sheppard, president of the Mansfield Morning Rotary Club. “The Read to Me program includes the whole family in welcoming a newbord and encouraging parents to read to their children.”
Books and Babies
The U.S. Department of Education has an excellent resource on reading: Helping your Child Become a Reader
For babies from age 6 weeks to 1 year
Sharing books is a way to have fun with your baby and to start him on the road to becoming a reader.
What You Need
Cardboard or cloth books with large, simple pictures of things with which babies are familiar
Lift-the-flap, touch-and-feel, or peek-through play books (For suggestions, see Resources for Children.)
What to Do
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Read to your baby for short periods several times a day. Bedtime is always a good time, but you can read at other times as well—while you're in the park, on the bus, or even at the breakfast table (without the food!).
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As you read, point out things in the pictures. Name them as you point to them.
- Give your baby sturdy books to look at, touch, and hold. Allow him to peek through the holes or lift the flaps to discover surprises.
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