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Read to Kids Often to Encourage a Love of Books
Filed under: Books for Kids, Activities: Toddlers & Preschoolers, Activities: Big Kids, Activities: Tweens
Make reading time family time. Credit: Getty Images
Even if you can only read to your child 10 minutes a day, they will reap the benefits from that time and the books you read. As a story is read, a child starts to match up the sounds with the pictures, which helps with their language skills.
Toddlers, who revel in the repetition in books or in repeated readings of books, will use that repetition to recognize words, and, when they start talking, they will start repeating the sounds of the words, as well. Children love rhymes -- whether Mother Goose or Dr. Seuss.
Here are some tips to make reading fun, which will help encourage a life-long reader:
- Buy books, such as board books, that a baby can easily handle. Books also make great gifts for any occasion -- and you might want to buy some of your old favorites to share with your children.
- Make books with your kids. Have them illustrate a book you've made from stapling paper together. They can dictate the story that accompanies the pictures they have drawn.
- Use reading as a starting point for dialogue. Ask questions before, during and after the story. As children grow older, ask questions about what they are reading or share something you have read.
- Try to be active during reading time. No matter what the age, when reading aloud, remember to laugh or create funny character voices. Kids enjoy it and you might find that you do, too. When you point to pictures when reading, your child starts associating the sounds with the pictures.
- Reading is not just for bedtime. Spend some out-of-the-ordinary time sharing a book or two with your child. It's always a good time to pick up a book. You might even try to reward good behavior with the promise of extra reading time.
- Use the library story time as a social time for your child. While you're there, try to meet parents who have kids the same age as yours. As they get older, encourage your kids to join summer reading programs.
- Get your kids their library cards. Encourage reading, whether or not your child seems to enjoy it. Allow them to read again (and again) from the same series of books -- even if it features a character from TV. It may help your child connect with reading, which will set him on a path to enjoy other books.
Related: Choosing a Preschool
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ReaderComments (Page 1 of 1)
6-02-2010 @ 11:15PM
dee said...How disgusting that a parent site has a section on perverted people raising kids. When your kids try it and get STDS cause you said it was NORMAL. don't blame anyone else.
Reply
6-03-2010 @ 11:00PM
Seriously? said...What are you talking about?! This post is about reading to your kids. Are you able to read? Maybe your parents should have read to you more often.
6-06-2010 @ 11:08PM
Alicia said...I'm only 20, so no kids yet (thank god!) but I have a lot very young cousins that I often buy books for. I suspect they don't get read to often, but I'm hoping that by providing the materials, I'll set the kindling to spark the love of reading I've always had. Granted, I'm a writing major, so I'm biased.
Reply
6-15-2010 @ 11:20AM
OokaIsland said...Hi Alicia,
If you are looking for fun reading books to capture your young cousins, try www.ookaisland.com. The books have lots of games and activities with characters that pull the children reading them into their world of familiarity.
6-11-2010 @ 8:54PM
Ellie B. said...It is a sad reflection on today's society that parents have to be reminded to read to their kids! Reading to your child should be an eagerly anticipated pleasure, not a chore. I read to my daughter, and as she grew older, we continued with novels, which we discussed. This helped foster her love of literature.
This activity can cost very little, since most libraries and school libraries have lots of books from which to choose.
Take a look at The Read-aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease. It is very helpful. It lists good books for all age groups, and presents numerous examples of reading's benefits.
Reply