Creating School Ready Kids is meant to help take the stress out of preschool!

Hi, I’m Regina. I am a mom of 3 grown children, 1 teenager and grandmom to an almost tween. I have taught, coached teachers, and present early childhood education trainings. I have just achieved a life-long goal of publishing my first picture book; ONE WINK (available on Amazon).

May 20, 2021

Reading aloud to young children is the single most important thing you can do for them to be ready to learn to read! People will often say to me, “oh, he’s too young to understand,” or “she won’t sit still long enough to get through a book.” With the first statement I ask, how will a child ever learn to understand if not given the opportunity? The second statement has more to do with book choice, delivery, and expectations which I’ll address in another post.

Reading aloud provides enriching experiences to young children. Many little children will not have the opportunity to visit a zoo but they can learn about zoo animals through nonfiction picture books. Families are not often able to travel to other countries but they can visit anywhere in the world and even outer space through books. Where will your next read aloud take you?

Hopefully, it will take you to a fun adventure and isn’t easier to learn something when you enjoy learning about it? Reading aloud is a fun and enjoyable way to help children develop a love of reading – an essential life-long skill!

Additionally, children’s oral language skills and vocabulary are developed through reading aloud. I always know when a child has been read to often just by how they talk with me and the vocabulary they use. Just the other day a neighbor’s child was telling me about her younger brother and how upset he was. She said he went “boneless!” That child has heard Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems a time or two.

Finally, reading aloud, whether between a child with a parent, or a teacher with a group, provides for critical interactions that develop strong emotional bonds. When a child feels loved and safe he or she can learn, grow, and be their best self. So read a book today with a young child!!

From experiencing my oldest going through school and my granddaughter, I have seen a huge change in Kindergarten. When my oldest son went, KG was a half day, which included lunch and recess. When my granddaughter went to KG, the school wanted her to read the first semester and take bubble test the second. How is this developmentally appropriate? Does it meet the needs of our children or does it meet the needs of officials touting schools as award winning? Please understand – I want quality schools . And, quality begins with understanding the needs of children and their developmental abilities. For years, I have been presenting at early childhood education trainings and “crying in the wind” promoting play based learning. Now, I’m taking my message to this little corner of the internet. Keep checking back. Ask questions. Let me know what you think. I fully believe what Maria Montessori said, “Early childhood education is the key to the betterment of society.”