{"id":352,"date":"2025-07-21T22:25:12","date_gmt":"2025-07-21T22:25:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cwsdemowebsites.com\/fundamental\/?p=352"},"modified":"2025-07-21T22:25:12","modified_gmt":"2025-07-21T22:25:12","slug":"what-age-can-you-start-reading-to-my-child","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cwsdemowebsites.com\/fundamental\/2025\/07\/21\/what-age-can-you-start-reading-to-my-child\/","title":{"rendered":"What Age Can You Start Reading to My Child?"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At Fundamentals Early Learning Centre, one of the most common questions families ask is:<br>\u201cWhat age can I start reading to my child?\u201d<br>Our answer?&nbsp;The moment they are born.<br>Yes \u2013 even newborns benefit from hearing the rhythm, tone, and melody of your voice as you read aloud. The earlier you start, the greater the impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\u2764\" src=\"https:\/\/fonts.gstatic.com\/s\/e\/notoemoji\/16.0\/2764\/72.png\">\ufe0f&nbsp;Mem Fox\u2019s 10 Reading Commandments<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Australian literacy advocate and beloved author&nbsp;Mem Fox&nbsp;once said,<br><em>&#8220;When I say to a parent, \u2018Read to a child,\u2019 I don\u2019t want it to sound like medicine. I want it to sound like chocolate.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mem Fox\u2019s&nbsp;10 Reading Commandments&nbsp;serve as a guide for raising strong readers. A few favourites include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Spend at least ten minutes a day reading aloud \u2013 from birth!<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Read with happiness and joy.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Let children hear lots of language \u2013 spoken and read.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Repeat favourite stories over and over.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These simple commandments remind us that&nbsp;reading should be a joy, not a chore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"?\" src=\"https:\/\/fonts.gstatic.com\/s\/e\/notoemoji\/16.0\/1f9e0\/72.png\">&nbsp;Why It Matters: Early Literacy = Future Success<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Research tells us that strong&nbsp;early literacy and communication skills&nbsp;are directly linked to&nbsp;future academic success.<br>Children who are regularly read to in the early years are more likely to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Enter school with a strong vocabulary<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Develop listening and comprehension skills<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Build confidence in speaking and expression<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Achieve higher reading and writing grades throughout primary school and beyond<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to&nbsp;ACECQA, by age 3\u20135 years, children are expected to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Use longer sentences of 5+ words<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Understand stories and ask questions<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Recognise rhythm and repetition in books<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Know how books work (turning pages, left to right)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These developmental milestones are supported&nbsp;<em>best<\/em>&nbsp;through&nbsp;daily reading routines&nbsp;at home and in early learning settings like ours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"?\" src=\"https:\/\/fonts.gstatic.com\/s\/e\/notoemoji\/16.0\/1f4d6\/72.png\">&nbsp;Making Books a Daily Habit: Tips &amp; Tricks<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We encourage families to build reading into everyday life. Try these simple strategies:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Make a cozy reading nook\u00a0\u2013 a blanket, a soft toy, and a basket of books is all you need.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Follow their interests\u00a0\u2013 trucks, animals, rainbows, bugs? There\u2019s a book for everything!<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Turn off distractions\u00a0\u2013 even five focused minutes of storytime matters.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Use expression and voices\u00a0\u2013 this keeps your little one engaged and builds listening skills.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Re-read favourites\u00a0\u2013 repetition helps children predict, comprehend, and feel confident.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"?\" src=\"https:\/\/fonts.gstatic.com\/s\/e\/notoemoji\/16.0\/1f476\/72.png\">&nbsp;Choosing Age-Appropriate Books<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Not sure what books are best for your child\u2019s age and stage?<br>That\u2019s where we can help!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here are a few favourites from one of our educators, loved by toddlers and preschoolers alike:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Mem Fox\u00a0\u2013\u00a0<em>Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Eric Carle\u00a0\u2013\u00a0<em>The Very Hungry Caterpillar<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Pamela Allen\u00a0\u2013\u00a0<em>Who Sank the Boat?<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Michael Rosen\u00a0\u2013\u00a0<em>We\u2019re Going on a Bear Hunt<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Marcus Pfister\u00a0\u2013\u00a0<em>The Rainbow Fish<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These books are not just beautifully written and illustrated \u2013 they support key&nbsp;literacy and communication milestones&nbsp;by encouraging language, rhythm, interaction, and emotion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"?\" src=\"https:\/\/fonts.gstatic.com\/s\/e\/notoemoji\/16.0\/1f9e1\/72.png\">&nbsp;Ask Us for Book Recommendations!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you&#8217;re unsure where to start, come chat with our team at drop-off or pick-up.<br>We\u2019re always happy to suggest titles and even share what we\u2019re reading in classrooms each week.<br>Whether it\u2019s a board book for your baby or a story to spark imagination in your preschooler \u2013 we\u2019ll help you find the perfect match.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At Fundamentals Early Learning Centre, we believe&nbsp;a love of reading is one of the greatest gifts we can give our children.<br>It all starts with one book, one voice, and one special moment \u2013 repeated every day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/fonts.gstatic.com\/s\/e\/notoemoji\/16.0\/1f4da\/72.png\" alt=\"?\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&nbsp;Ready to build your child\u2019s love of literacy? Ask us today for a book list tailored to your little one.<\/p>\n\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Building a Lifelong Love for Literacy at Fundamentals Early Learning Centre<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":88,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-352","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cwsdemowebsites.com\/fundamental\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/352","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cwsdemowebsites.com\/fundamental\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cwsdemowebsites.com\/fundamental\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cwsdemowebsites.com\/fundamental\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cwsdemowebsites.com\/fundamental\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=352"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cwsdemowebsites.com\/fundamental\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/352\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":353,"href":"https:\/\/cwsdemowebsites.com\/fundamental\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/352\/revisions\/353"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cwsdemowebsites.com\/fundamental\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/88"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cwsdemowebsites.com\/fundamental\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=352"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cwsdemowebsites.com\/fundamental\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=352"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cwsdemowebsites.com\/fundamental\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=352"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}