Remember your ABC’s and your 123’s? All these started when you are trying to learn how to write and read. And as you grow older you have read countless fairytale books and Nancy Drews. Thanks to these amazing characters and thrilling plots you learn to love reading.
Reading is essential for child’s early development for it encourages them to broaden their imagination and learn new things at the same time. One of the biggest and the hardest challenges of a parent is getting the right reading and writing curriculum that could best match their child’s potential. With so many sources in the net, choosing the right one could be quite daunting. So here are the tips on how you can maximise your time and help your child the best way possible.
1. Provide a suitable space for learning. If you want to encourage learning parents should provide a quiet and comfortable place for reading. A place away from noisy distractions especially the TV, well lighted and with plenty of reading materials to choose from. Just as simple as providing a lamp in your kid’s bedside can also help as you read for him/her before they go to sleep.
2. Reading is fun! Kids are known for their short attention span so make sure to keep them interested. Children are more attracted to colors and drawings, so providing your child a wide variety of fascinating reads will keep them on their toes. You can also check out the public library or you can start building your own mini-library for more options. Don’t stick on the usual children’s books, challenge your children to read complex or advanced books for their age and you’ll be amazed how they can able to understand it. Other moms use the ‘coffee table’ trick, a method where they leave a book somewhere in the house and let their children find it. In this way they will feel motivated to read it since they discovered it themselves.
3. Use other resources. Aside from books you can also encourage learning by using other materials such as flash cards, storybook applications for tablets and word games. Games such as scrabble, crossword puzzles, etc are just one of the few brain stimulators that can help them to recognize words and pronounce it. Reading materials can also improve their listening skills and their ability to interpret intricate words.
4. No test! Avoid giving your child a comprehensive test after reading a book. According to Jim Trelease, a reading advocate, children can learn more if you discuss to them the questions and let me them answer it orally. Learning is more effective during an interaction rather than writing the answer. If you want your kids to love reading then don’t make this activity look like a task for them. Turn it as a family bonding and you will never have force them. You can also start a book club where you can invite his/her peers to discuss the book afterward. This is also a good activity to enhance your child’s social skills and to encourage them to read more challenging material.
Further Reading