How to make reading books a part of our children’s lives?

Parents play a fundamental role in helping their children not only develop the ability to read but also to enjoy reading. If you also want to teach your child to read, pay attention to the following tips:

Practical tips:

• Turn off the television and other screens: The first step is to reduce screen time watching movies, TV, or using phones.

• Be a role model for your child: Teach book reading through yourself as your child’s role model. When you have books, newspapers, and magazines in your home and your child occasionally sees you reading, they will certainly learn to value reading. Do not underestimate the role-modeling aspect under any circumstances.

• Go to the library together: Sometimes go with your child to the library near your residence and try to find books in your child’s area of interest and then read them together. For example, before their dental check-up appointment, find and read an age-appropriate book about going to the dentist. Or, if they are afraid of dragons, for instance, read an interesting novel about it together so your child’s fear is resolved.

• Learning to read is closely related to learning to listen and speak: Families should take time to talk with their children and listen to what they have to say, and through this, indirectly teach them many skills required in reading. For example, when your child incorrectly says “potater”, say, “Do you mean you want a potato?”. In this way, you also indirectly teach them vocabulary, sentence structure, and how to communicate. All of these help your child become a better reader years later. Speech, hearing, or language problems in children should be identified in the early years so that necessary help can be provided and future reading problems can be prevented.

• Read books together: Reading books with your child is a very enjoyable experience, especially for the child. By doing this, you have not only strengthened their reading skills but also turned it into an engaging and sweet activity for them. Furthermore, reading books with the child greatly helps build intimacy between parents and the child and establish better communication between them.

• Try to gradually hand books to your baby starting at six months of age: According to studies conducted by the “American Academy of Pediatrics”, it is recommended to introduce your baby to books starting at six months of age. Gradually play peek-a-boo with them (a game where you hold the book in front of your face and say peek-a-boo to the baby while moving it away). Read the poems in your child’s books with a melody and in a rhythmic manner so they enjoy it.

Author: Zahra Vakilian Mobarakeh

Sources:
www.mottchildren.org
www.readingrockets.org