There are a number of different and simple things that you can do in order to help your child love to read. Reading is one of the most important tools for any child to master for a number of reasons. The ability to read is absolutely necessary in order to be able to survive and to function in the real world. In addition, reading allows your child access to all kinds of different knowledge. Your child, through reading different books, can access different worlds, learn about different people, and become excited about knowledge and life itself.
Numerous studies have shown that the most important factor in any child learning how to read and learning how to love reading is the early intervention of parents. Reading to your child for at least 20 minutes a day will instill a love of learning in even babies and toddlers, as long as you are reading them age-appropriate material. As a parent, you are the most important person when it comes to helping your child learn how to love to read.
Here are some great tips and steps that you can follow to help your child learn how to love to read. Don’t be intimidated! All you have to do is sit down with your child once a day and read them Dr. Seuss books, a magazine, picture books, or anything else!
1. Read to your children
When your children are young, it is absolutely essential that you read to them out loud every day. Choose books that they are interested in and books that will keep their attention. As your children grow older and learn how to read by themselves, make sure that you read along with them so that they can still have the opportunity to read with you and to have you help them with their reading.
2. Be an example
While it is important to read to your children every day, you also need to be an example of reading. Make sure that your children see you reading on a regular basis so that they know that it is an important activity to you and to other people. You should also have books around the home. Simply seeing a number of books around the home helps your child feel that books are an every day part of life. Comfort and familiarity with books leads to interest in books which will also lead to a love of books and a love of learning.
3. Make reading part of your child’s daily schedule
It is important that you establish good reading habits for your children. By making reading a part of your child’s daily schedule, you let your child know that reading is an important part of life. Make sure that you schedule reading time at a time of day when it will be easy to remember, such as in the morning, at lunch, or every night before your child goes to bed. Scheduling reading in will make your child expect to read and look forward to reading.
4. Choose the right books
No matter how many other steps you follow, such as reading for twenty minutes each day, if your child doesn’t like the books that you are reading to him or to her, then he or she will never like to learn to read. Choose topics that your child will enjoy. Let your child pick out books. Take your child to the library, show your child where the books are, and let him or her choose his or her own books. Get your child a library card, if he or she is old enough.
5. Choose a wide range of topics
Make sure that you choose a wide range of topics of books that you read to your child. You can move from dinosaurs to castles to dolls to fairy tales to Africa. Reading from a wide range of topics, your child will become exposed to more and more ideas and will learn about a number of different places and a number of different things.
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