The boys above are 3 and 5 years old. This photo was taken on Monday afternoon. I have been their Au pair for the past 2 years. Every 2 weeks we visit the local library to take out seven books each. They can't wait to get home to explore the books they've chosen.
The following are some ways to turn a young reader's reluctance into enthusiasm:
1. Scout for things your children might like to read. Use their interests and hobbies as starting points.
2. Leave all sorts of reading materials including books, magazines, and colourful catalogues in conspicuous places around your home.
3.
Notice what attracts your children's attention, even if they only look
at the pictures. Then build on that interest; read a short selection
aloud, or simply bring home more information on the same subject.
4. Let your children see you reading for pleasure in your spare time.
5.
Take your children to the library regularly. Explore the children's
section together. Ask a librarian to suggest books and magazines your
children might enjoy.
6. Present reading as an
activity with a purpose; a way to gather useful information for, say,
making paper aeroplanes, identifying a doll or stamp in your child's
collection, or planning a family trip.
7.
Encourage older children to read to their younger brothers and sisters.
Older children enjoy showing off their skills to an admiring audience.
8.
Play games that are reading-related. Check your closet for spelling
games played with letter tiles or dice, or board games that require
players to read spaces, cards, and directions.
9.
Perhaps over dinner, while you're running errands, or in another
informal setting, share your reactions to things you read, and encourage
your children to do likewise.
10. Set aside a
regular time for reading in your family, independent of schoolwork, the
20 minutes before lights out, just after dinner, or whatever fits into
your household schedule. As little as 10 minutes of free reading a day
can help improve your child's skills and habits.
11.
Read aloud to your child, especially a child who is discouraged by his
or her own poor reading skills. The pleasure of listening to you read,
rather than struggling alone, may restore your child's initial
enthusiasm for books and reading.
12. Encourage
your child to read aloud to you an exciting passage in a book, an
interesting tidbit in the newspaper, or a joke in a joke book. When
children read aloud, don't feel they have to get every word right. Even
good readers skip or mispronounce words now and then.
13. On gift-giving occasions, give books and magazines based on your child's current interests.
14. Set aside a special place for children to keep their own books.
15.
Introduce the bookmark. Remind your youngster that you don't have to
finish a book in one sitting; you can stop after a few pages, or a
chapter, and pick up where you left off at another time. Don't try to
persuade your child to finish a book he or she doesn't like. Recommend
putting the book aside and trying another.
16.
Treat your children to an evening of laughter and entertainment
featuring books! Many children (parents, too) regard reading as a
serious activity. A joke book, a story told in riddles, or a funny
passage read aloud can reveal another side of reading.
17.
Extend your child's positive reading experiences. For example, if your
youngster enjoyed a book about dinosaurs, follow up with a visit to a
natural history museum.
18. Offer other special
incentives to encourage your child's reading. Allow your youngster to
stay up an extra 15 minutes to finish a chapter; promise to take your
child to see a movie after he or she has finished the book on which it
was based; relieve your child of a regular chore to free up time for
reading.
19. Limit your children's TV viewing in
an effort to make time for other activities, such as reading. But
never use TV as a reward for reading, or a punishment for not reading.
20.
Not all reading takes place between the covers of a book. What about
menus, road signs, food labels, and sheet music? Take advantage of
countless spur-of-the-moment opportunities for reading during the course
of your family's busy day.
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