Nancy Ann's Blog

It takes 1000 hours of “lap-time” for young children to have the readiness skills in place to learn to read.
–National Institute for Children’s Health and Development

“Lap-time” means one-on-one interaction between a parent or caregiver and a child where meaningful language interactions take place. Types of lap-time activities include: talking, singing, rhyming, chanting, and, of course, reading.

If we begin at birth, children who receive one-half hour a day of lap-time will have the developmental skills they need to read when they come to kindergarten.

If we wait until they are two to three years old, it will take an hour a day of lap-time to prepare children with the readiness skills they need to read.

If we wait until they are four years old, it will take two hours a day of lap-time to prepare children with the readiness skills they need to read.

If we wait until children are five years old and entering kindergarten, it will take three hours a day of lap-time to catch these children up with their peers in order to be ready to read.

Read to your children
Twenty minutes a day;
You have the time,
And so do they.
Read while the laundry is in the machine;
Read while dinner cooks;
Tuck a child in the crook of your arm
And reach for the library books.
Hide the remote,
Let the computer games cool,
For one day your child will be off to school;
Make it fun! You have the choice.
Let them hear their first tales,
In the sound of your voice.
Read in the morning,
Read over noon,
Read by the light of
Goodnight Moon.
Turn the pages together,
Sitting close as you’ll fit,
‘Till a small voice beside you says,
“Hey, don’t quit.”

Author Unknown

Reading and Usborne books are in the news!  Check out this great piece about Usborne Books and More home shows!  Want one in your area?  Just let me know and I’d be happy to hook you up with a great consultant.  It’s also a good option that you could become a consultant too!

ksl.com – ‘Book parties’ help families get excited to read.