Once a child starts to genuinely love reading, all kinds of doors start to open. It's worth spending some time and effort ton instill a love of reading in your child.
Here are some tips to help you build that love in your home:
1. Start early with family reading time. Reading is a habit that needs to be started early for the best effectiveness. Start a habit of reading to children from the time they are small babies. While they won't remember this time together, you most certainly will. When children are as young as one, they can sit and participate in reading a book.
If your children are older, make it a habit to have story time each night. You can read several pages of a chapter book or a whole picture book. As your child grows, you'll be able to read more complicated story lines and longer chapter books.
When you read to your children, engage them in the process by asking questions and having them make guesses about what happens next in the story.
It also helps to make your family reading time at the same time each day. Reading right before bed or right before bath time is a great way to remember how important this is to your family.
2. Make reading a part of your everyday life as a family. Reading exercises exist everywhere - even if you don't have a book with you. There are plenty of opportunities to read in the outside world, including signs, product labels, shopping lists and recipes. Encourage your child to read these things. They'll feel important getting to do things like grown ups and you'll help them see how reading is so important.
3. Reward your child for good reading habits. Older children may need a little extra encouragement to get them to read. You can work on your child's natural competitive spirit by making reading a game. Many times libraries have summer reading programs, but you can take this same idea and use it year round in your home. Reward your children with points for each book they finish or the amount of time that they spend reading each day. Make sure that you keep track of each child's progress and then have a big reward once they reach a goal. For example, you can take them out to their favorite restaurant once they read 20 books or they get to buy a new book once they spend 20 hours reading.
If your child struggles with reading, make a special effort to work one on one or find some special tutoring so that it becomes easier.
4. Set a good example. The best thing you can do to help your children love reading is to love it yourself. If they see you spending time reading and enjoying it, they'll do the same. If it's been a while since you've read something for pleasure, ask for recommendations and then explore from there. It doesn't matter what you read. Fiction and non-fiction are both good. Pick something and start reading and you'll impact the way that your child looks at reading.
Disclaimer: All information on this site is provided for informational purposes only! By no means is any
information presented herein intended to substitute for the advice provided to you by any health care or other professional
or organization.
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