For Kids and their adults: Planting the Seeds of Reading by Cathy Allen Falk, M.S.ED

#FamiliusBooks #NetGalley

200 pages

Description:

from the publisher

Plant the seeds of reading with research-based, fun-filled activities that help preschoolers build early literacy and prereading skills at home or in the classroom.

Struggling to teach your child how to read and don’t know where to start?

From educator and literacy coach Cathy Allen Falk, Planting the Seeds of Reading transforms the science of reading into simple, playful strategies that lay the groundwork for reading success. Once only known to educators, these research-backed methods are now accessible to parents and caregivers who want to give their children a strong start to early literacy.

This isn’t about pushing children to read early; it’s about preparing the soil for the day they start reading on their own.

Through fun, age-appropriate activities that are perfect for home or the classroom, your child will develop essential prereading skills like phonemic awareness, vocabulary growth, fine motor skills, and letter recognition. Best of all, the activities require little to no prep and can be done with everyday materials you already have.

With just a few minutes a day, you can nurture your child’s reading readiness, build confidence, and create the fertile ground where lifelong literacy skills will grow.

My thoughts:

I care deeply about children’s literacy. It is the reason that I have been a reading tutor for over ten years. For this reason, I was quite curious about this title.

This book offers adults ways to set the stage for a child’s reading without pushing them and while, hopefully, keeping everything enjoyable.

Some of the chapter headings are Reading Aloud, Playing with Words and, Learning Letters. There are also several appendices, including nursery rhymes, action rhymes and songs.

I had thought that this book would be more like a workbook for kids and adults. It is not that. Rather it is filled with information, including book suggestions, and ideas for activities to do with a child.

This book could be quite useful. However, I think that some adults might shy away from it because it is text heavy. My suggestion would be to just do a little bit at a time and to be aware of whether or not a child is engaged.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Familius for this title. All opinions are my own.

Editorial Reviews:

“Falk provides parents and caregivers with the science-based, engaging, and actionable tools to move young children into the world of reading.”―Timothy Rasinski, PhD, Professor Emeritus of Reading Education, Kent State University

“A powerful yet fun guide to building a strong reading foundation.”―Rhonda Mickey, Pre-K Instructional Coach & Reading Specialist, Fort Wayne Community Schools

“Cathy Allen Falk generously shares her expertise in early literacy development. . . . all certain to bring joy to adult and child alike.”―Isabel Nuñez, Ph.D., M.Phil., J.D., Dean, School of Education, Professor of Educational Studies, Purdue University Fort Wayne

“[Cathy Falk] makes learning new skills a playful yet impacting experience. What greater gift can any adult give to a youngster than the ability to read and comprehend the world’s library of knowledge?”―Dennis E. Hensley, Ph.D., Author of Teach Yourself Grammar and Style and The Freelance Writer’s Handbook