The 7-Day Challenge

Thank you for accepting this challenge to read with your child for the next 7 days. As you spend time together, not only will your child improve in a variety of academic ways, but you will also build a stronger bond of love.

Scientific evidence has shown that the creative and semantic areas of a child’s brain are stimulated when read to. Age is not a determining factor. Children are never too young to listen to a story.

Children learn best in a calm environment of mutual respect and concern. Carefully choose where you will read to your child so that you can focus on each other and the interchange. Remove anything that might become a distraction to you. Follow your child’s lead so that the experience is personal.

As you go through this process, consider documenting those “ah-ha” moments and sharing them with us. We will use your feedback to inspire others to experience the joy of reading to a child.

Daily Procedure:

Prepare by reviewing the Pre-Reading and Post-Reading information.
Gather supplies as needed.
Invite your child to join you for the event.
Plan to spend at least 15 minutes each day depending upon the level of Post-Reading activities you choose to participate in.
Children love routines, so you may experience greater success if you plan to do the reading at the same time and location each day of the challenge.

Reading Tips:

Make yourself comfortable.
Speak clearly.
Talk about the book. Ask questions and encourage questions from your child. “Get off the page.”
Vary your voice for different characters and moods. Make the stories come alive.
If appropriate, let your child turn the pages and point to the words as you read them.
Allow time to look at the pictures and discuss what is happening.
Respect your child’s natural attention span so that reading will have only positive associations. Depending upon the age of your child, you may want to tell the story by just looking at the pictures and discussing what is happening rather than reading every single word.