AT HOME WITH HOMER: Raising a Reader — with Stephanie Dua

Kanika: Reading to me is one of my favorite things to do and I want so badly for my children to enjoy it, but it can be scary. HOMER’s reading program is proven to increase early learning scores by 74%, so clearly you’re the pro here. Stephanie (HOMER origin story): I was working at the fund for public schools and my daughter Anya was struggling with reading. I had access to the greatest minds in education and no one could recommend a product they trusted, so I set out to create one. Kanika: I love that and with Mother’s Day coming up, I just want to celebrate that for a second. There is real power in women starting business to solve parent pain points. What advice do you have for parents listening whose children might be struggling with reading? Stephanie / Stats: Reading is the foundation of a strong education, however it’s not intuitive or natural. We also know that if you’re not at reading level by grade 4. Stephanie / Tips: Make your home a reading rich environment Subtitles on TV shows Leave books all around Lead by example Create Reading Routine The value of bedtime stories - an oldie but a goodie. Proven to help develop literacy skills and bond parents with their children. Car time is book time - pick a book before the ride or make the car into a mini library with a small box of books on the back seat Weekly library visit 20 min / day Create a book exchange with your weekly playdate. Each week your child picks out one book to give to their playdate, who borrows it for the week. Episode Links: WEBSITE: LearnWithHomer.com INSTAGRAM: @learnwithhomer FACEBOOK: /learnwithhomer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices