Helping your children enjoy reading is one of the most important things you can do as a parent and it's well worth the investment of your time and energy.
By far the most effective way to encourage your children to love books and reading is to read aloud to them, and the earlier you start, the better. Even a baby of a few months can see pictures, listen to your voice, and turn cardboard pages.Simply having books, magazines, and newspapers around your home will help children view them as part of daily life. And your example of reading frequently and enjoying it will reinforce that view.
While your children are still very small, it's a good idea to start a home library for them, even if it's just a shelf or two. Be sure to keep some books for little children to handle freely.
Include specially made, extra-durable books for infants, and pick paperbacks and plastic covers for kids who are older but still not quite ready for expensive hardbacks. Allowing little children to touch, smell, and even taste books will help them develop strong attachments.
How you handle books will eventually influence how your kids treat them. Children imitate, so if they see that you enjoy reading and treat books gently and with respect, it is likely that they will do the same.
Yes, there were days I wanted to tear my hair out, and I was unable to get attention of Medha while reading books but reading is so important to me that I never regretted doing it. Not once.
Start Early
From the first week of life, read books to babies every night before bed. Just one or two – it does not take a lot of time. I find that if you start making it part of their bedtime routine, like other activities, brushing teeth, or putting on pajamas, it becomes natural for them, and they look forward to it. Of course It is special bonding time with your child each and every night! Read at least for 15-20 minutes a day.
Talk to your child
When you talk to your child, you teach him the sounds of language, making it easier for them to learn how to read. Tell family stories about yourself and their favorite family members, for example I tell her about my sister Prathyusha, my cousin Akhila , her cousins and her favorite my pet dog in my childhood (She is fond of animals especially Cat and Dog) .
Pick Right Books
I am still shocked at some of the children’s books that I find in the shops or local library. There are some really poorly written books – books that are boring! I am very picky about which books I check out to bring home. I do not simply grab a handful off the library shelf. I look through each and every one before I come home. Depending on the age of Medha, I choose books that have just a few words per page, on up to a full page. I find ones that have understandable pictures, with fun colors. I make certain that any book I bring home will grab the attention of my child, and keep him/her interested while I am reading . I do not want her getting bored during story time. If I am grabbing book from library that deliver books to home, I do read lot of reviews from websites and decide. Finally, I choose books that have a feel-good ending. I want my children to have happy endings for as long as they can.
Make it fun and excited
It is so important while the kids are young for you to be injecting your excitement for books into that reading time. If the story is getting suspenseful, slow down and let the nervous energy build. If it’s sad, lower your voice, and be sad. If it’s exciting, let that show in how you are reading to your child. If you love to read, so will your child, and you will find that reading becomes more engaging for them.
Give them Time
As you are reading, do not simply ‘read and flip’ the page. Let your child’s eyes linger on the page, which will help their comprehension of what was just read. Think about it – when we read a magazine, we do not flip through the pages looking only at the words at the bottom of the page. We look at the pictures and gather information from what is happening, to help us with the reading. So does your child. Let him or her take their time ingesting the photos on the page, and read slowly. You can even leave words out and let them guess. If there is a picture of cookies and milk on the counter, read cookies, but leave out the milk and let the child fill in the blank, “Pepper quickly ate his cookie and drank his ________.” Medha mostly love getting involved.
Ask Questions
Ask few questions about the pictures while reading, and give them some time for their imagination to build up. Let them cook up some stories for answering your questions.
Talk About Books
Involve your new reader in the conversation by bringing up the book that he or she read that day, and ask questions about it as what had happened and why is it so? etc. I talk to Medha about books whenever possible. Example, if we are talking about cakes or chocolates, I remind her about "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" as caterpillar got stomach ache as it had all junk food, and when it's about animals and their unique features, 'From Head to Toe', "Brown Bear, Brown Bear what do you see?", "Good Night Gorilla!" and 'I'm so sleepy' and when it's about brushing "Pepper brushes his teeth" etc.
Be Patient
Each child is different! It is so easy to get caught up in the milestones of other parent’s children – especially when it seems to be a favorite way of the parents comparing their kids. I have learned that it is a much healthier approach for me and for my kids to let Medha learn at her own pace. I want her to feel like they are succeeding, not failing! So every little baby step earns lots of praise from me, and I never push her further than they are ready to go. Though I sometimes get her attention for reading by mentioning about her friends that "They read this book and they really loved this story book. Do you also want to hear such a lovely book or it that only them?". This question trigger some thoughts in her little mind and most of the times she comes to me asking to read the book.
Keep Books All Around
Have a nearby bookshelf or a book storage box and fill it with lots of different books with interesting titles; books that will pique kid's interest. Encourage her to read on her own. Some books are just right for borrowing from the library. Others will find a special place in your child's heart. These are the books for your child's bookshelf or home library.
Set an example
When your child sees you reading for pleasure or information, she will understand that reading is a worthwhile activity. Any chance I get, I will grab a book, or a magazine, and sit down to read. I want Medha to know that I love to read, and it is important to me to generate that example for her. Being an avid reader, I read a lot of books mostly our regional books, magazines and lot of English novels. This worked a lot of times as whenever I get a book to read, she comes and asks me to read the book or she pretends herself reading a book. :)
Reading activities to share with your child
- Read traffic signs and signs in local shops and restaurants. Example : STOP, START, GO, EXIT etc.
- Show the letters that your kid is familiar with in the story books you read to them.
Take your children to story times
Public libraries often present story times, puppet shows, craft activities, and author programs for children, from babies to teenagers. Check and see if your library has a calendar of programs available. Often, bookstores offer weekly story times for young children and occasional author visits. It can be very exciting to meet a favorite author or illustrator. Medha is not yet there, I tried this before 2 weeks. She was not ready to listen to the story from them instead she wanted to play with toys they have kept in the playing zone. It may take some more time for her.
Having said all these, there were a days I was unable to get attention of Medha for reading books and get her listening to stories. There will be too. Still, don't give up. Keep trying. :)
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