Early Reading and Writing
	How much do you know about how your child develops pre-literacy skills? Test your savvy with this quiz. Choose the best answer for each question below.

1.  What should you do if your preschooler wants to hear the same bedtime story over and over again? Hide the book before it drives you crazy Keep reading it, since it makes him happy Make your spouse handle bedtime duties Read the favorite book, but introduce new ones too 2.  What are the best books for babies? Nothing, babies aren't ready for books yet! Whatever you are reading your older child Storybooks with beautiful illustrations Simple books with one or two words and pictures per page 3.  What is the best way to teach letters? Point out letters in everyday life, such as on stop signs or refrigerator magnets; note what sounds they make Read alphabet books Write big letters (especially those in her name) for your child to trace and copy All of the above 4.  When do children start learning to read? In kindergarten or first grade, when they begin sounding out words In preschool, when they start learning their ABCs As toddlers, when they can recognize favorite stories and ask for them by name As babies, when they start to flip pages on their own 5.  If your child is pretending to read (she's memorized a story and can tell it by looking at the pictures), you should: Discourage this by taking away the familiar book and offering her a new one Celebrate! Your child is showing that she is beginning to understand the basic concepts of reading Ignore it – all this means is that your child has a good memory Read the book with her and correct inconsistencies, so she learns the right words 6.  Singing songs at home, in the car, and at preschool: Is fun but has nothing to do with reading Develops sound awareness skills Helps kids learn new words Builds vocabulary and encourages kids to play with sounds, both of which are critical for reading 7.  By age 5, your child needs which of the following pre-reading skills: She knows her ABCs and the letters in her name She knows how to hold a book and understands that we read the letters and words on the page, not the pictures Both A and B None of these – she'll learn everything she needs to know in kindergarten 8.  How much time should you spend reading to your preschooler each day? Who has time to read every day? My child won't sit still to listen to a story A story or two at bedtime At least 15 minutes – whether it's at bedtime or other times during the day 9.  Providing crayons and pencils for your preschooler is important because: Using pictures and scribbles to communicate ideas is the first step to writing Reading and writing are connected Scribbling and drawing build fine-motor skills All of the above 10.  If your child won't sit still to pay attention to a story, you should: Skip it for now Offer to let him choose which books to read Jazz up your reading with funny voices and sounds Keep trying; read even if he wanders around doing other things. 11.  The best kinds of books for preschoolers and emerging readers are: Storybooks with lots of pictures Poetry and rhymes Nonfiction books about nature, history, or how things work All of these 12.  What tools and supplies do you need to help your preschooler learn to read? Flashcards Computer games/software Phonics readers Just storybooks