Welcome to The Family Room

When does a child learn to read? Many people say “in kindergarten or first grade.” But researchers have told us something very important. Learning to read and write can start at home, long before children go to school. Children can start down the road to becoming readers from the day they are born.

Early experiences with spoken and written language set the stage for children to become successful readers and writers.

For children birth to age two, you can do a lot to prepare them for success in reading:

• Talk to your child. Begin talking and singing to your child from birth. Play peek-a-boo and pat-a-cake. Recite nursery rhymes. Repeat sounds. Sing songs.

• Let your baby know that you hear her babbles, coos and gurgles. Repeat the sounds she makes. Smile back.

• Read to your child. Make reading a pleasure. Read in a comfortable place. Show your child that reading is fun and rewarding.

• Show enthusiasm as you read to your child. Read with expression.

• Read to your child often. The more you read, the better-- as long as he is willing to listen. Reading times can be brief.

• Talk about the story you read.

• Give your baby sturdy books to look at, touch and hold.

• Read favorite books again and again! Children love hearing the same stories again.

Information about
Help Me Grow Literacy Links:

LINKING FAMILIES TO READING ACTIVITIES

Long before an infant babbles or says his/her first word, he/she is developing skills needed to communicate and eventually to read. Research shows that children who were regularly exposed to reading materials at a very young age are those who most often achieve early school success. Parents and caregivers are their child’s first teacher and can set the foundation for reading by providing activities even to very young children. The Literacy Links project, supported by a grant from the Early Learning Opportunity Act, offers Help Me Grow families an opportunity to do just that!

Our Help Me Grow Early Learning Literacy Specialists, from seven community agencies, working with the family’s Service Coordinator, provide examples of a variety of learning activities and games that support communication and literacy development. Parents/caregivers are given the tools to enrich their child’s early literacy experiences.

Literacy Links offers Help Me Grow Families:
· In-home Literacy Support
· Free Books
· Free Literacy Materials
· Free activities for families at local community events

Through this exciting new program:

Help Me Grow parents/ caregivers can help their child develop a love for reading through everyday experiences and routines during the most important years of life.

For more information,
please call Help Me Grow at:

(216) 736-4300

Coming soon:
Help Me Grow Early Learning Projects.

-back to top-