We can read anything
Helping babies to learn that reading is an enjoyable and useful activity.
Learning goal
- Understand the role of reading in children's learning.
Talk about reading with pēpi
When we’re sharing books and reading with pēpi, we’re laying down important foundations about attitudes to reading.
- We’re showing pēpi that reading is enjoyable, as well as a source of information.
- We’re not trying to teach pēpi to read.
If we’re successful, when the time comes for them to learn to read themselves, they’ll pick it up eagerly.
Of course, babies enjoy their favourite books, but parents can also help them to see that reading is useful and fun in many ways. For example, looking at the TV guide, finding the specials at the supermarket, looking up a bus timetable.
As a group, talk about what you can read with pēpi. Ask the group these questions:
- How can you help your baby learn that reading is an enjoyable activity?
- What do you read? This could be the bus timetable, grocery ads, magazines, and so on.
- Think of ways you might share your reading with pēpi.
- Who are the storytellers in your life?
- Are there any storytellers in your family?
Try ‘reading’ one of the Tākai resources to each other in the group. How much of a story can you make out of a page?
