Submitted by Michelle Gobert, Positive Youth Development Educator
Last fall, Forest County Extension began a program titled “Clover Connection” at area local libraries designed to introduce toddlers and preschoolers to hands-on learning opportunities in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art & Math. Clover Connection is a family-centered learning opportunity with caregivers present and engaged with their children’s learning.
Currently, a six-week series of Clover Connection is being held at the Edith Evans Memorial Library in Laona. The sessions are from 9:30 – 10:15 a.m. and will run through March 8th. All Forest County families are invited to participate.
Clover Connection will continue to rotate throughout Forest County communities during the spring and summer of 2023. Contact Michelle at michelle.gobert@wisc.edu or visit the Extension website at https://forest.extension.wisc.edu to learn more about our next sessions.
Reading Readiness
Clover Connection’s focus on hands-on learning opportunities is just one of the goals of the program. Another goal is to introduce early literacy concepts to youth and families in Forest County. Pre-literacy skills in young children help them achieve greatest success in school. One of the most pre-literacy skills available to promote early literacy is reading out loud to youth. In fact, reading out loud is the most important thing you can do to prepare your child to read.
Tips to Raise a Reader
- Read together every day and everywhere. Ask children to bring a book or two when heading to the park.
- Think “outside the book” and read out loud. When grocery shopping, read signs and labels. Read a recipe together. Go on a scavenger hunt for sounds and letters.
- Send positive messages about the joy of reading. Make a trip to the library an adventure.
- Reread favorites. Children love to hear their favorite stories over and over again. Capture the child’s attention by pointing to words and pictures as you read.
- Expose children to “mirror” and “window” books where they see themselves represented and also learn about different cultures and experiences.
- Talk, talk, talk. A child’s vocabulary grows through rich conversations with others. They are really listening to you.
Read, Read, Read
What preschoolers know before kindergarten is strongly related to how easily they learn to read. A child is ready to read when they are able to recognize and name letters of the alphabet, are aware of sounds in words, can rhyme, and know how to hold a book and turn the pages.
Make it Fun!
Preschoolers can tell stories, have a conversation, and scribble their name. Research suggests some children may not have the early learning experiences they need to become successful readers. Many activities can support early reading and writing skills. Of all these activities, reading out loud is the most important. This can be as easy as five minutes at a time. Little snippets of reading turn into 20 minutes before you know it. Use activities and play that are of interest to the child. Are they into toy cars? If so, how about reading the car ads together? Don’t worry if your young child becomes distracted when you’re reading or if you don’t get through a whole book. Follow the child’s lead—encourage, and stop when the child’s attention shifts. Experiment with different types of reading materials to see what is of interest. The process of learning to read involves many different complex skills. Preschoolers learn best when they are doing something that is important and fun to them.
Information regarding Reading Readiness is available through UW-Madison Extension’s Parenting the Preschooler program available at https://fyi.extension.wisc.edu. The information in this article was written by Yia Lor. Reviewed by Pam Wedig-Kirsch, Sandy Liang.
