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Putting a Modern Twist on an Old-Fashioned Love of Books, KinderCare Educators Offer Online & Real-Time Reading Resources for Today's Parents

"Reading with your child will be some of the most enjoyable and rewarding time you spend together," says Megan Riede, Senior Director, Education Programs at KinderCare Learning Centers. "That's why we encourage families to make reading time a fun and engaging activity. Really create an experience for your child that allows him or her to imagine, explore, have fun and learn about the world around them in a language-rich environment."

To underscore the importance of early childhood literacy, KinderCare representatives are also hosting a live literacy discussion on Twitter (www.twitter.com/KinderCare) on Wednesday, October 27, from 12 p.m. PDT - 1 p.m. PDT. Joining the conversation will be Megan Riede, David Roy, Director of Community Partnerships, KinderCare Learning Centers, and Renea Arnold, Early Childhood Services Supervisor for the Multnomah County Library system. For every literacy question asked during the discussion using @KinderCare, KinderCare will donate a book to national literacy program Reading Is Fundamental. Those who are interested in joining may do so by visiting www.twitter.com/KinderCare or searching Twitter with #KCchat.

Benefits of Early Childhood Reading

According to KinderCare educators, reading to a child on a regular basis is by far the best way to encourage a budding reader and parents should start to read to their child beginning at the earliest ages. In fact, reading to an infant promotes early language acquisition and literacy development and, later on, achievement in reading comprehension and overall success in school. ¹

"Within each of our KinderCare centers, over 1,650 nationwide, we read aloud daily to our children and we encourage our families to read aloud regularly to their children at home," explains Wendy Collie, President of KinderCare Learning Centers. "Reading to children is an interactive experience that will translate into a love of reading. Select books that reflect your child's interest and that feature characters with whom your child can identify."

Studies have also shown that children who have experienced an abundance of language in the form of talk and read-alouds will have heard 32 million more words by the time they are four than children who haven't had a language-rich environment. ² Megan Riede agrees and explains, "You can help cultivate your baby's interest in books by choosing ones that capture his or her attention such as board books, pop-up books, etc. Your child will want to see these again and again."

Ages & Stages of Early Childhood Literacy

To get the most out of reading with your child as they become more engaged in reading, KinderCare educators provide the following tips to make the most of reading time:

Newborns & Infants (0-12 months):

• Newborns through four-month-olds may be content to gaze at the pictures and touch the pages. Cradle baby in arms as he or she is being read to, to provide security and a feeling of closeness.
• At five to eight months, baby may be more interested in mouthing and exploring the book than listening to a story, so provide books that are safe for baby to engage with, such as board to cloth books.
• At nine to 12 months, baby prefers to turn pages by him- or herself. Turning pages provides a hands-on experience and is an important step toward becoming an independent reader.
• Book titles recommended by KinderCare educators for 0-12 months: Pat the Bunny (Dorothy Kunhardt), Planes (Byron Barton), Baby Animals (DK Publishing), The Silly Shapes (Sophie Fatus) and Color Zoo (Lois Ehlert).

Toddlers (12-18 months):

• The typical attention span for a toddler is short, so parents need to be flexible about when and where to have reading time. It's a good idea to have books around the house, so when the time is right, a book is nearby.
• While reading together, ask questions about the pictures. Children are delighted in finding objects on the page. If they're saying "da" and pointing at the dog, say, "Yes, that's the dog." If the child says "ball," follow up with, "That's a blue ball." You'll be giving them additional language for their verbal bank.
• While at first parents may be the ones acting out scenes and turning pages, eventually children will want to participate more, making great partners in reading.
• Book titles recommended by KinderCare educators for 12-18 months: Dinosaur Roar! (Henrietta and Paul Strickland), The Wheels on the Bus (Child's Play), One Duck Stuck (Phyllis Root), Time for Bed (Mem Fox), Red Big Barn (Margaret Wise Brown)

Preschoolers (18 months-3 years):

• Ask your child open-ended questions about the story you are reading, such as "Why do you think that happened?"
• Help your child develop predictive skills by asking questions, such as "What do you think she will do next?"
• Introduce your child to a variety of genres, to give him or her early experiences with different types of books.
• Book titles recommended by KinderCare educators for preschoolers: The Very Hungry Caterpillar (Eric Carle), Corduroy (Don Freeman), Harold and the Purple Crayon (Crockett Johnson), Miss Spider's Tea Party (David Kirk), Are You My Mother (P.D. Eastman)

For additional reading lists and reading tips, please visit www.KinderCare.com.

About KinderCare Learning Centers

Portland, Oregon-based KinderCare Learning Centers, the nation's leading early childhood education and care provider, operates more than 1,650 community-based centers across the country of which more than 600 are accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and the National Accreditation Commission for Early Care and Education Programs (NAC). Accreditation is awarded only to high-quality early childhood programs reviewed by a national commission comprised of recognized experts in child care and early childhood education. For more information, visit www.KinderCare.com.

¹ Early Childhood Education: Critical Data Needs for a Critical Period of Child Development. Forgione. National Center for Education Statistics. December 1998.

² Hart, B., and T.R. Risley. 1996. Meaningful differences in the everyday experience of young American children. Baltimore: Brooks Publishing.

KinderCare Public Relations
Leslie Constans, 503-736-1851
lconstans@klcorp.com
or
Ketchum Public Relations
Erin Jundef, 310-584-8312
erin.jundef@ketchum.com