Prima Toys celebrates National Reading Month

Chiquita Patrizi, spokesperson for Prima Toys encourages both parents and teachers to celebrate National Reading Month.

Reading is a vital part of life. From an early age we read at school, we read as teenagers for entertainment and as adults we read to acquire knowledge and information and like me, to be transported to new worlds by amazing characters.

But what about the little ones, children who are not yet at school? Much-loved education and learning brand LeapFrog continues to do research is the field of literacy and they have discovered that literacy skills begin to develop at birth.

While each child’s developmental journey has its own pace, as a parent you can encourage the progession of important skills through activities that are fun and engaging. And chances are, you and your child already engage in some of these activities!

LeapFrog has designed each of their products to assist babies, toddlers and young children in learning, from numeracy to literacy and beyond. Each product is designed to make the most of each developmental stage. The products teach fine motor skills, they help your child explore and they help teach the fundamentals of literacy and numeracy.

Prima Toys top LeapFrog products for National Reading Month are:

For Toddlers:

• - My talking LapPup
• - Peek a shoe Octopus
• - Lettersaurus
• - Learn and Groove Music
• - Shapes and Sharing Picnic Basket
• - Little learning House

For Preschoolers:

• - LeapReader Junior
• - Scribble and Write
• - Read with Me Violet
• - Fridge Phonics Magnetic Set
• - LeapReader

Below are some fun ways that parents can encourage literacy skills in their children:

Sing the alphabet song. This will introduce your child to the alphabet and allows him to distinguish one letter from the next. LeapFrog has a number of toys, including the Lettersaurus, a dinosaur that sings the alphabet song, encouraging children to learn as they play.

Play with sounds by introducing nursery rhymes and sing-a-long games. LeapFrog products such as are great for these kinds of games. The Musical Rainbow Tea Party features tea-time learning songs and is perfect for ages 1 to 3 years.

Go on a treasure hunt. Help your child search for items in your home that rhyme, or start with the same sound.

Enjoy the rhythm of music. Clap or dance to the beat, and even make up your own funny or non-sense lyrics. Music provides plenty of natural opportunities for children to appreciate and manipulate the sounds of language.

Repeat the names of objects and teach colours. Increasing a child’s vocabulary helps her to better express herself using words. LeapFrog’s My Talking LapPup is a great way for toddlers aged 6 to 24 months to learn colours.

Whichever way you celebrate National Reading Month, ensure that children have fun!

For more information go to www.facebook.com/PrimaToys