No matter if your child finds books fascinating or if reading books is the last thing he wants to do, the benefits of reading cannot be denied. From ages 0-5, children grow language skills faster than any other time in life, and words, speaking, comprehension, and phonics are all built during this time range. Beyond that, reading also helps students prepare for schoolwork and future careers, follow directions, and interact with peers.
In celebration of International Child's Book Day and Hans Christian Andersen's birthday, here are a few tips for encouraging your student's love of reading:
Read with Your Student – Reading together encourages your student's confidence and provides an opportunity to spend time together.
Read More Yourself – Modeling is the best way to teach. Show your student reading is important by reading more yourself.
Read Out Loud – If you read something interesting, share the passage with your student or your whole family. Start a discussion by sparking thought.
Read Different Types of Literature – Your child doesn't have to have his face in a book to be reading. Expose your student to magazines, newspapers, plays, poems, blogs, and e-books as well.
Make It Easy to Read – Take your student to the library, attend book sales, create a home library, start a book exchange in your neighborhood, begin a children's book club, join story time, and write stories together.
Make Reading Joyful – Don't make reading a chore. Foster independent learning by encouraging your student to read what interests him. Also, be sure to put more time in his schedule, so he can choose to read if desired. A few books lying around can be a subtle way to entice him as well.
Read Multiple Languages – Introduce your young child to various languages. This will help him comprehend vocabulary meanings shared among languages and ease the way for learning world languages in the future.