How do we, as parents, create a lifelong reader in a child? Well, if you are a reader, the child's chances of being a lover of books increases. I have found from my years of teaching, that many parents do not read. Anything. Not good. If you do not like to sit with a novel and read for pleasure, that is ok! Read the newspaper rather than turning on the television, computer or radio. Or at least read to your children at bedtime. Even if it is just 1 chapter a night or a short picture book. If you do enjoy reading, it will be easier for you to instill a love of reading in your children. Here are some simple steps I teach parents and friends who struggle with getting their children to read:
- Read together! Read the same book or have your child choose one while you read a magazine, paper or novel. Make it fun: find a big, comfy-cozy chair, make hot cocoa on a cold afternoon or tall glasses of iced lemonade on a hot day. If your child struggles with reading or has a short attention span to the written word, simply set a timer for about 10 min. of reading.
- Take a trip to your town library and sign your child up for a library card if she doesn't already have one! I recommend that once your child is printing her name (usually at age 4 but sometimes between 4-6), then taking her to the library to sign her own card is a great "big girl" activity. Check with your library first to see if they have certain age requirements. Many kindergarten classes take yearly trips to the library as well. And remember: books from the library are free!
- Take out (or purchase) books that reflect your child's interests. My oldest daughter ("queen") used to ride horses. She was interested in horses from age 4 until about 13. (she still likes them but tends to read different things now!). We used to buy or borrow many different horse series, both fiction and non-fiction. My youngest daughter is very much into historical fiction so of course we have all the American Girl doll books to match her American Girl doll and we have purchased other books that fit this genre as well. There are excellent Christian and secular historical fiction books for ages 7-12.
- Choose books that help your child deal with certain events in their lives. Examples are: going to the doctor/dentist, mommy having a baby, learning to go potty, grandpa dying, etc. These books tend to be geared towards ages 2-8.
- Read books that help to build character traits such as friendship, honesty, compassion, respect and tolerance.
- Read books at different holiday times and learn new vocabulary from them. Then follow up with a "whole language" activity such as cooking/baking, art, gross motor movement. Examples would be: at Christmas you could read a book about why we celebrate Christmas, bake cookies using star and angel cookie cutters, cut out Christmas tree ornaments or decorate pinecones and hang on your tree, and play outside in the snow.
- Subscribe to your child's favorite magazine. Magazines we currently receive in our home are: American Girl, Ranger Rick (excellent resource for science/social studies projects), Pop-Star (can you tell I have a 14 year old?) and Ignite (a Christian teen mag). There are several good ones to subscribe to. If you do have a teen, be aware that many that are supposedly for teens are very inappropriate for young children and teens who are Christian teens. Many "teen" mags promote sexual impurity, glamorize values that are not always wholesome, and are not "reality" mags. "Queen" has discovered that reading many of the magazines for teen girls are very unrealistic with looks/beauty, fashions that do not promote modesty, and stories that do not follow Biblical truths. You know your child best: help him/her decide which reading material is appropriate.
- Read at a set time each day. In our house, we read during snack time after school and again after homework is done or just before bedtime. On weekends, many times I find my girls curled up on the sofa reading.
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