Reading is not only one of the most important things we can learn as humans, but it can also be one of the more enjoyable. But illiteracy is not a rarity in America; in fact, it’s probably more common than we’d like to think. Reading is one of the most important life skills any person can gain. Reading helps us learn things about life that are extremely essential. Reading can show us more about ourselves and others; it provides many hours of fun and entertainment. Reading helps us learn step by step instructions to do thousands of different things. Reading is something that should be learned during childhood. So what are some ways we can make sure that the children we love and care about learn this all-important skill?
1) One of the most important ways to encourage children to want to read is to read fun, quality books to them at their particular age-range or level of understanding.
2) Let children see you reading. If the only thing they see you do every evening is watching TV, then they’ll probably do the same.
3) Stay in contact with your children’s teachers. Find out how well they read or if they’re having problems. Ask if there’s anything they can do if one of your children needs extra help.
4) You know phonics. In fact, it’s most likely the way you learned to read. If you think your child is having trouble, start teaching them words using phonics. Once that light bulb goes on in their head, they will usually want to show off the words they’ve learned to pronounce.
5) Let your child read a book to you, and saturate him or her with praise. Give some sort of reward if your child reads a book to you. Then give a prize for every book your child reads. (Of course, you might have to ask what the story was about, just to make sure).
6) Find out the books that children cannot resist. Sometimes a child who hates reading suddenly begins to consume books because you’ve found the sort of stories or subject matter he or she loves. If you need suggestions, check out my website for choices at: http://www.books-to-grow-by.com.
Do not let your child or grandchild grow up without the gift of reading.
