by Bruce Johnson

Reading includes the ability to hear, identify, and manipulate the individual sounds in spoken words. Learning to read starts with talk, so talk with your child often, share family stories, use new words, ask open-ended questions, and keep up the conversation. 

Interested in helping out your pre-reader more? Read to your child often. Ten to 15 minutes a day to start, increased to 20 to 30 minutes a day when appropriate, will improve both interest and attention span. Try to read to your child whenever asked. This may be difficult when busy moments arise, but the payoff will be worth the effort. Read carefully. Interact with the text, ask simple questions about the reading, and accept all thoughts. 

Let your child do some of the reading, too, even if this means pretending to read or reciting memorized passages. Your pre-reader is still learning important skills, such as how a book is read - from front to back, left to right, and by turning the pages. Help when your child has trouble, and ward off frustration. If your child is stuck on a word, it's okay to give the word. If your child becomes tired, stop and pick it up another night. 

Reading also includes the understanding that there is a predictable relationship between phonemes, the sounds of the spoken language, and the written letters and spellings that represent those sounds. Sing the alphabet. Point to the letters. Say their names, their sounds, and a word that begins with that sound. Mix the letters and try again. Play some games like Letter Memory, Go Fish with letters instead of numbers, and Tic-Tac-Toe with letters other than X and O. Help your child to write his or her name. Work on simple words like "bat" and "cat". Point to each letter and say the sound. Remember to offer positive reinforcement whenever appropriate. 

Need some book choices? Dr. Seuss books and Mother Goose rhymes are perfect for children who are learning sounds. Humorous poems by such authors as Shel Silverstein and Jack Prelutsky are also appropriate. Above all, have fun!

Bruce Johnson is the author of "Involving Parents in Their Children's Reading Development: A Guide for Teachers." Check out www.ReadingPlace.org 

by Lis Garrett

In the October edition of Root & Sprout, I wrote about how to prevent a tantrum when you believe your preschooler is about to “lose it.” I've come to realize that people, kids especially, don't have tantrums because they are "deviant" people. On the contrary, they are reacting to stress they cannot process in an appropriate way. Along with preventing a tantrum, you should learn what can trigger one in the first place.

Exhaustion and hunger are often big tantrum triggers. Think back to the last time you were overtired or very hungry. If you're anything like me, you probably felt on edge. Most adults, however, have the ability to cope with a pending internal tantrum before exploding. You can grab a quick snack to refuel or close your eyes for a few minutes. You are capable of dealing with your needs on your own.

Preschoolers, especially young ones, can’t always effectively verbalize exactly what they need, so it’s your job to pick up on nonverbal cues to alert you to your child's needs: rubbing of the eyes, yawning, boredom, listlessness, and general fussiness.

What else can trigger a tantrum?

a preschooler who tries to master a skill beyond his ability: Haven’t you been witness to a three-year-old’s tantrum over his inability to manipulate a button or zipper? These skills require a child to have great control over his fine motor skills, something that can be difficult and frustrating for a young child who wants to be able to do it all.

a preschooler who needs to assert himself: How many times have you heard, "No! I’ll do it myself!" when your preschooler insists on doing things his way?

a preschooler who has too many choices or not enough structure: Why is it that your child behaves so well in preschool but is like a wild monkey at home? You may not be providing enough structure. I'm always amazed by my daughter’s preschool teacher and her ability to wrangle a dozen or more children, the majority of them only three years old, with little parental help. She’s able to do so, because she offers clear expectations, gives few choices, and provides a safe, structured environment.

a preschooler who is just prone to tantrums: These types of children are often classified as stubborn, high-intensity, and slow-to-adapt, and their behaviors may prompt exasperated parents to seek professional help.

Surviving a child’s tantrum is just a part of parenting. But if you can determine the motivation behind his tantrum, you may be able to help your child sort through his feelings and regain control of himself a lot more quickly. 

Lis Garrett is the senior editor and a contributing writer for Root & Sprout. 

image courtesy trexor14

Getting picky eaters to eat is, well, it is difficult. Truly picky eaters rarely can be swayed to eat simply by the rule of influence, and it can take years for a picky eater to touch, much less try, a bite of new food. If you have a child with sensory issues, who would rather go hungry than eat food he perceives to be offensive, mealtime can be a real struggle. Although many parents abhor the idea of becoming a “short-order cook,” ensuring the health and well-being of her child is a parent’s most important responsibility.

Here are a few tips to try when getting a picky eater to eat:

Sit down with your child and talk about the foods that he does like. Most likely, you will discover he is not as picky as you think and his food repertoire includes varied sources of vitamins and nutrients. Make a list of these foods, dividing them into food groups. Post the list to the refrigerator door so it is visible to both you and your child.

Let your child be in charge. When planning your weekly menu, have your child plan his breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Explain that he must choose at least one item from each food group. Let him decide occasionally what the family meal will be, and include him in food preparation. Encourage him to touch and smell the food during preparation.

Expose him to gardening. You may wonder what gardening has to do with getting a picky eater to eat, but most kids enjoy digging in the dirt and planting seeds. When he is able to tend to the fruits of his labor, your child may be willing to try a new food.

Praise your child verbally when he does try a new food. Avoid using treats as an incentive or reward. Doing so may reinforce his inherent idea that “new foods” are “bad foods.” Simply state that you are proud of him for tasting a new food and respect his opinions about what has been served.

While these suggestions will not work for all picky eaters, they might make mealtime a little less stressful. If you are at all concerned about your child’s pickiness and how it might be affecting his health, talk to his pediatrician. 

Lis Garrett is the senior editor and a contributing writer for Root & Sprout.