TIPS TO HELP YOUNGSTERS LEARN TO READ AND SUCCEED

LOS ANGELES-----Many children from low-income communities are entering kindergarten without the basic early literacy skills needed for lifelong success. To help narrow this early childhood literacy gap in Los Angeles County, First 5 LA is launching its "Read Early, Read Aloud" campaign in November. The month-long effort encourages parents and caregivers of children ages 5 and younger to read aloud to their youngsters and to participate in literacy events in their communities.

Poor literacy skills is one of the major challenges facing school systems today, but child development experts have found that reading aloud to children before they start school better prepares them for academic achievement and helps cultivate a love of reading, a vital foundation for learning.

"Everyone agrees children need to succeed in school, and while many factors influence how well a child does in an academic setting, their early intellectual growth plays a crucial role," said Evelyn V. Martinez, chief executive officer for First 5 LA.

"Learning to read should begin at infancy and continue throughout the toddler years because when they listen to stories, they gain crucial language skills," said Martinez, who also offered the following early literacy tips for parents:

• Read to your child every day for at least 30 minutes in total.

•  Spend time talking about the pictures in the book before turning the page.

• Try reading for a few minutes at a time; children may only sit for a short time for a story.

• Read favorite stories again and again. Seek out books about things your child likes.

• Tell your child how much you enjoy reading with him or her. Talk about story time as the favorite part of your day.

• Make the story come alive - act out the character roles or sing about the pictures.

• Read slowly enough for your toddler to understand.

• Ask questions about the story and let your child ask and answer questions too.

• For infants, choose simple and colorful cloth and vinyl books with bright colors.

• For preschoolers, choose books with repetition and rhyme.

For more information on the campaign, visit www.ReadEarlyReadAloud.org.