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When kids develop a love for reading, it can deeply benefit them in many different ways. Reading for pleasure can benefit a child’s education, social and cognitive development, wellbeing, and mental health. When children read, it provides them with a deep understanding of their world and fills them with the knowledge that they use to make sense of what they see, hear, and experience. A book can take kids anywhere – to a different city, country, or an alternate world widening their imagination and sparking creativity. It allows children to develop empathy through seeing the lives of other characters and how they are feeling. In addition to this cognitive and emotional development, reading helps create a larger vocabulary, improve academic performance and self-confidence.
Allison McDonald is the founder of the popular blog No Time for Flash Cards. She is passionate about Early Childhood Education and says “Whether in a classroom or family room I want to help adults make learning fun and meaningful for the children they care for”. Allison co-wrote the book Raising A Rock-Star Reader as a must-have parents’ guide to raise lifelong readers and learners. She followed this with the book, Setting the Stage for Rock-Star Readers, as an important resource for teachers in daycare, preschool, and kindergarten, explaining the whys and hows of early literacy to help teachers better develop young readers.
In this episode, Allison discusses the importance of instilling a love for reading early and provides us with easy-to-implement tips and activities to create a literate environment and develop a kid who loves to read while building your child’s early reading and writing skills.
Allison McDonald has been teaching children in various capacities since 1993 – from teaching pre-school age kids to leading a pre-school, as its Director. Through her journey, she has partnered with wonderful brands like Melissa & Doug, written pre-school curriculums for Itty-Bitty Bookworm and MeMeTales, and today shares hands-on ways to learn on PBS’s new Adventures in Learning blog.
Resources
No Time for Flash Cards
https://www.notimeforflashcards.com
PBS Adventures in Learning Blog
https://www.pbs.org/parents/adventures-in-learning/author/allisonmcdonald/
Raising Rock-Star Readers
https://www.amazon.com/Raising-Rock-Star-Reader-Amy-Mascott/dp/0545806178
Setting the Stage for Rock-Star Readers
https://www.amazon.com/Setting-Stage-Rock-Star-Readers-Children/dp/1338285610
Reaching Roots Podcast: How to Teach your Children Well:
https://dopcrq3ycj4uc.cloudfront.net/podcasts/teach-your-children-well/