Teaching Your Child To Love To Read
Raising a child who loves reading can be easy if you have a plan. However, you must keep in mind that no matter how much you may want to nourish a love for books in your child, other influences may prevent them from becoming an avid reader. All you can do as a parent is provide encouragement, but the rest is up to your child.
Many parents instill a love for books in their children by reading to them often from a young age. This shows that reading is a special time with mom and dad, so your child will associate books with affection and develop a sense of security around reading. As your child matures and begins to play with toys on their own, give them books that they can touch, chew, and bang around. Even if they end up destroying the books, they'll begin to associate books with having fun.
Sometimes children want to read the same book repeatedly. As an adult, this may feel like a tedious chore but do it anyway. Repetitive reading is one of the best ways children learn new words. On the other note, do not force your child to listen to you read a book if they're giving you signals that they would rather do something else. When children are young, reading must be a pleasant experience.
As your child begins to read, give him/her a special place in the house, that can be their very own reading corner. It could be a beanbag pillow in her bedroom or a child-sized rocking chair in the living room. While reading doesn't have to be done only in this corner, having that special place set aside for reading will make it feel like a special event to look forward to. Let them choose a reading chair on a shopping trip with mom or dad.
Once your child begins learning how to read, you should still read to them and continue to expand their vocabulary. Take turns reading paragraphs or sentences and make reading a group effort.
If you find that your child does not like to read, you may be tempted to bribe them. Avoid this if you can. Bribery does not cultivate a love of books. It teaches your child that reading is something to be endured for a reward. Instead, try to figure out why they don't like to read. Are the books you've offered boring? Do they have a reading disability that needs to be addressed? Do they need glasses? Try to find books that appeal to them, even if they are not topics you are interested in.
Finally, model good reading behavior whenever you can. Your children should see you reading a wide variety of materials. You should read books, magazines, newspapers etc. Your child will learn from your example that reading is something to be enjoyed every day of their lives.
