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Every parent wants his or her child to learn to read. But, more importantly, they want them to learn to love reading. Without reading a person can not do much of anything. If a person does not like to read, they will not read even what is essential for every day life. The child that learns to love reading will enjoy a life filled with wonder and continued growth academically and personally.
It is not always easy to get a child to like to read. Some take to books naturally, but others will do just about anything to avoid them. This can be discouraging for parents and teachers a like. However, there are things we can all do to try and help each young person fall in love with the written word.
The first and most important thing an adult must do is to be an avid reader. If the adults in a child's life do not read and do not allow the child to see them reading, the child will have difficulty making the connection between reading and enjoyment. Read everything. Novels, biographies, non-fiction pieces, magazines, newspapers, the backs of cereal boxes, are just some examples of the things you can read in the presence of your child.
Let them see you responding to what you are reading. If it is a funny story, laugh and tell your child you enjoyed it because it made you laugh. If it is a sad news report, act sad and explain why you are sad to your child. If is a how-to article that you have learned from, let your child know you just learned something.
Make a special time that you and your child read together. At least four times a week, get comfortable in a favorite spot with your child. Let him or her pick out what they want to read with you. Talk about what you are reading and discuss any pictures or points of interest that come up while you are reading. By talking about it and asking him or her questions about how he or she feels about what you are reading you are telling your child that this is important and you value his or her opinion. This kind of positive reinforcement will create warm and comfortable memories that elicit a love of reading.
Make reading fun. Use funny voices while reading a story. Encourage your child to use funny voices. Both of you can role-play the characters of the story, pretending to be part of the story. The more you play with your child, the more excited he or she will be about learning anything.
When your child asks you a factual question, tell him or her you don't know, but you'll help him or her look it up. This gives you the opportunity to instill in your child the invaluable skill that reading really is. It gives you both time together to talk and discuss any information that may be important to one or both of you. By creating this kind of intimacy with your child you are allowing him or her to feel safe in coming to you with his or her questions. You will also be showing your child that reading is not only enjoyable, but purposeful as well.
When you want to give a reward for something your child has accomplished let it be reading time with you. Or, even let it be a trip to a bookstore to buy a new book. Picking out a new book is always exciting and this will give you a chance to observe the kinds of things your child wants to read. Then take the book home and read it together.
Make sure your child has his or her own library card. Picking out books from the library is just as exciting as picking books out at a bookstore. Except that your child can usually pick out a lot more from the library than the bookstore. Being a member of the library usually means access to storytellers and reading programs as well. These are both great motivators for creating a love of reading in children.
Another great motivator is stuffed animals or dolls that represent characters from favorite storybooks. When you have one of these toys you can use them to help you read the story to your child. And, your child can use them to help him or her read it to you. This makes reading fun and gives your child the opportunity to exercise his or her creativity.
Make your own puppets to use when reading. Socks and mittens are wonderful things to make puppets. These puppets can help your child get excited about reading. Again, the creativity in your child will come out as he or she is using the puppet to read a story to you. This will make the story even more exciting and enjoyable for you both.
Teach your child to treat his or her books with loving care. Explain that it is important not to bend the binding of a book or leave it laying open face down. Let them know that you care what happens to the reading material in your house. Show them how not to write on top of books or inside of books in order to keep the nice and help them last for a long time. Make sure you treat your own books in the same manner you expect your child to keep his or her books. When a child learns to respect his or her books, he or she will also learn to respect what is inside the book.
No matter how you go about teaching your child to love reading, keep in mind one very important thing. Never use reading as a punishment. Doing this will link negativity to reading and create a resistance to reading in your child. Keeping your child's reading experiences positive and fun is important in order that your child views reading as an enjoyable pastime.
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