How To Encourage A Love Of Reading In Your Children One of the best gifts we can give our children is to instill in them a love of reading. Children who are read to and who are avid readers themselves are likely to have a larger vocabulary and to be more proficient and skilled writers than their peers who do not read as much. Not only is reading an excellent past time for your child right now, but it is a skill that will have academic payoffs down the road.
Children learn from the examples that their parents set for them - if you want your child to enjoy reading, then let them see how much you enjoy reading! If your home is filled with books, and it is clear to your children just how much you value reading, they are likely to follow suit. Consider having a 'reading time' each day, a time when both you and your child will read together. At first, you can pick the books that you will read, but as your child gets older, consider letting them select the books that you will read. You could read books that correspond with subjects they are learning about in school, or select books that follow their interests and hobbies. You can alternate between reading the book to them and letting them read the book to you.
Most libraries will have a story time hour at least once a week; a librarian will select several books to read, and will sometimes incorporate puppets or arts and craft activities into the story time. You can check at your local library to see if they offer anything like this. Such sessions are typically divided up into different age groups, so to make sure your child enjoys going to story time, make sure you attend the session that is age appropriate for your child. This can be an excellent way to get to know other parents in your community, as well.
Might your child like to write his or her own book? This can be an excellent way to help children practice writing and coming up with story lines. Make it as attractive a past time as possible by getting different colors of paper for them to use. Perhaps you could write a story together. Once the story is finished, have them read it to you to help practice their reading skills!
Keep a stash of books in the car for times when you and your child will have some down time. If you have doctor's appointments, or run into a traffic jam, what better way to pass the time than looking at books together! You could read to your child while he or she cleans up the toys or does other chores.
Children who grow up with an appreciation for and enjoyment of reading will likely see a number of academic-related benefits. As parents, there are steps we can take to cultivate this hobby in our children. We hope this article has been helpful to you! Click Here For More Information