Random Thoughts

I found another great tips from MumCentre.com by Mariel Uyquiengco.

How do you raise a reader?

1. Read and read with your child

There is no other way around it; raising a reader entails reading and reading toyour child everyday. However, it is not sufficient to just read to your child; reading with your child is much more beneficial. So, pause every so often to point out words and details on the illustrations. Ask questions, wait for answers, and talk about what you are reading together.

2. Surround your home with good books

Make it easy for your child to fall in love with reading. Surround your home with good reading materials - in the bedroom, the bathroom (yes!), your kitchen, the living room, and everywhere else your child loves spending time in. Make books and magazines an ordinary part of your home; make it normal for your kids to be surrounded by the written word.

3. Make connections about what you read and what you see around you

Reading is not just about words and ideas. Children love seeing connections and appreciate it when things and ideas from books are pointed out in the real world. For really young children, pointing out concrete objects found in their books will immediately establish a connection. For bigger kids, values and ideals can be a jumping point for conversations about issues they face or might face.

4. Prepare your child for new experiences using books

Some kids do not embrace new experiences well; parents then worry about how they can make their children look forward to, or at least to be not scared about where they are going.One of the easiest things you can do is to use books to prepare your kids for new experiences. Going to the dentist for the first time? There’s a book about that! Going to a new country? Look for historical picture books, or even folk tales of that country.

5. Go to the library often

If you are lucky to have a good community library near your place of residence, make sure to bring your child there often. Make the library a fun place to hang out in. Check their schedule of activities so you can go with your child. If there is no such library near you, you can do very well just doing the second item on this list: surround your home with good books.

6. Let him read what he likes

It has been said that there are no children who do not like books, only children who have not yet found a book that they like. If your child refuses to read or to be read to, look for exciting books that are about his particular interests. And don’t turn your nose against comic books and magazines if that will make your child read!

7. Remove pressure to read

Children feel our stress over them. If you are worried that your child is not reading yet, he will feel that and may put undue pressure on him, especially when he is still very young. So, enjoy the moment and just read and read and read to your child without the pressure of having him read on his own soon. Of course, do watch out for signs of a problem and talk to a child development specialist if you believe something is wrong.

8. Read books for your own pleasure too

It is important for children see their own parents enjoying reading too. It gives the message that reading is a worthwhile pursuit. So grab the newspaper or a book and don’t feel guilty about “indulging” in a bit of reading pleasure. Your time reading for yourself is time spent well for you and your child.

9. Give books as gifts

Give the gift that keeps on giving and make it a point to gift your child with books for any occasion. If your child is stuck in just one or two series, give a book from another series that she might like. Expose her to different genres and find something that she will enjoy reading with you.

10. Continue reading aloud even when your child has become an independent reader

Children who are already reading still love being read to. At some point, a child’s reading ability goes beyond her reading comprehension skills. Listening to you read and having the opportunity to talk about what is being read help older children grasp more from the reading material.

SOURCE.