“Reading is a Window to the World”. We know that reading habit is important and has many benefits for us. Reading is beneficial for stimulating our brain such as adding vocabularies and maintaining our focus and concentration. By considering those advantages, we, as parents and educators are trying to make our young learners to love reading.
I was never a big reader when I was young. In fact, it wasn’t until high school that I started getting into books. But now I’m obsessed with them! So much so that my child loves reading too – and that’s thanks to some simple techniques that worked for me back then and still do today. In this post, I’ll share some tips on how you can help your child love reading too!
- Introduce book from the earliest age
The first year of life are the most crucial for language development, the more words children hear the better. We can help children get to know sounds, words and language, and develop early literacy skills.
The first thing to do is introduce your child to books from the earliest age by providing your child with a wide variety of books. This means that you shouldn’t just buy the same book over and over again, or just books for their age level, or just popular titles. You should also consider reading level when choosing new titles (but not exclusively). - Read aloud with engaging voice and tone
Reading aloud can enhance children’ language skills. It can also widen their imagination. If we read aloud, children more likely to become engaged in the story we are reading and throw themselves into the adventure. This is even greater if we make and sound effects or put on voices when reading, since it makes children feel even more like they are in an exciting new world engage them fully in the story.
Reading aloud helps children develop their vocabulary by exposing them to words they wouldn’t otherwise hear in everyday conversation. While reading out loud, ask questions about what you’re reading so that your child has an opportunity to think about what’s happening in the story as well as how it makes him feel—this can help him connect emotionally with characters who might be experiencing similar situations (or worse!). - Read together before bed time
Creating bed time routine where we read together every night is not only beneficial for
developing children’s interest of books but also for creating a stronger parent-child bond. Read to and with your child. This is the most important thing you can do to help them develop a love of reading. It’s also a great way for you to spend time together, which is something that all parents want for their kids. They’ll know exactly when it’s time for bedtime stories! - Don’t be too forceful
Children will read more often if they enjoy what they are reading, so let them choose. Teaching children to love reading involves helping them to enjoy and want to read themselves, rather than being forced. A child who is allowed to select his or her own books is more likely to develop a love of reading, because he or she will have chosen books that are interesting and relevant to him/her.
It’s normal for children (and adults) go through phases where their interest in reading decreases temporarily—but this doesn’t mean you should give up on trying! Instead, try finding other ways that can increase their motivation. Keep an eye out for signs that your child is struggling with reading, such as feeling frustrated or giving up easily. If this happens tell them it’s okay, it’s hard for everyone sometimes, and then help them find another book that looks interesting or might be easier to read at first. - Model Good Reading Behavior
Action speaks louder than words. As we know, children are the greatest imitators. Therefore, the best way to inspire children to read is by letting them to see us reading as well. Encourage them by modelling that when we have some free time after work, instead of watching TV shows on Netflix or scrolling over Instagram feeds, we, too, pick a book and dive into the world of letters.
Reading is an important skill that your child can use for the rest of their life. It helps them develop good reading habits, which will make it easier for them to succeed in school and beyond. By providing lots of books, reading aloud with them frequently and letting them choose what they want to read next—along with staying positive when they have bad days—you’ll help make sure they keep reading!
By. Tamara Novitasari
Source:
https://www.all4kids.org/news/blog/the-importance-of-reading-to-your-children/
https://www.parents.com/toddlers-preschoolers/development/reading/18-genius-ways-to-make-kids-love-reading/
https://bilingualkidspot.com/2017/05/04/teach-child-to-love-reading/
https://www.inthebook.com/en-us/blog/benefits-of-reading-aloud/
https://readingeggs.com.au/articles/2015/03/03/read-aloud-books/
https://raisingchildren.net.au/babies/play-learning/literacy-reading-stories/reading-storytelling
