Take 5 & Read: Small Moments Can Build a Lifelong Love of Reading

September is National Literacy Month, and at FIRST 5 Santa Clara County, we’re celebrating with a simple message for families: Take 5 & Read!

Reading with young children is one of the easiest and most meaningful ways to support their learning and development. And it doesn’t have to mean sitting down for a long story every night. Just a few minutes of reading, talking and exploring books together can help children build vocabulary, strengthen early literacy skills and discover that reading can be fun.

Most importantly, those few minutes are also an opportunity to slow down and connect.

Make Reading Part of Everyday Life

There’s no single “right” way to read with a child. Follow their interests, have fun and look for little opportunities throughout your day.

Let your child choose.
Dinosaurs again? The same Potter the Otter book for the tenth time? That’s okay! Letting children choose books that interest them helps make reading something they look forward to.

Talk about the pictures.
You don’t always have to read every word on the page. Ask, “What do you see?” “What do you think will happen next?” or “How do you think they feel?” These conversations help children practice language, comprehension and critical-thinking skills.

Make it interactive.
Use silly voices, make animal sounds, act out parts of the story or invite your child to finish a familiar sentence. The more fun you make it, the more engaged they’ll be.

Read the same books again—and again.
Young children love repetition, and there’s a reason for it. Familiar stories give them opportunities to learn new words, remember what happens next and eventually “read” parts of the story along with you.

Bring books everywhere.
Keep a few books in the car, diaper bag or backpack. Five minutes waiting for an appointment, riding the bus or sitting in the school pickup line can become reading time.

Read more than books.
Menus, signs, cereal boxes, recipes and grocery lists all count! Point out letters and words as you go through your day to help children see that reading is all around them.

Tell stories together.
No book handy? Make up a story, tell your child a story about when you were little or ask them to create one with you. Storytelling builds many of the same language and literacy skills as reading.

Make reading part of your routine.
Try a book after breakfast, before naptime or at bedtime. Even five minutes at the same time each day can help create a habit your child looks forward to.

Take 5 Today

You don’t need a perfect reading routine or a shelf full of books to help your child become a reader. Start with five minutes, follow their curiosity and make the time together enjoyable.

Throughout National Literacy Month, we’re encouraging families across Santa Clara County to Take 5 & Read with the children in their lives.

Five minutes. One story. A little time together.

Those small moments can help build skills—and a love of reading—that last a lifetime.