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Two Simple Ways to Make Your Child Love BooksFeb 21 '00 Write an essay on this topic.It is not difficult to raise a child who will become a life-long reader. You really only need to do two things: 1. Read to your child - often, and 2. Let your child see you reading - often. Of course, this might not be as easy as it sounds. You might not enjoy reading (yet). You might be very busy and think that you don't have time to spend on getting your child interested in books. You might think that's the job of schools. I think these hurdles can and should be overcome, however. Here are some things to try: First, start with yourself, preferably before you even have children. (It's never too late, however, to start reading!) Evaluate your schedule. What isn't important? Television probably can be cut back, if you are a typical American. Just choose an evening and go to the library instead. Tape your usual program if you must - you can always watch it later. At the library, don't try reading a novel if you don't enjoy fiction. Think of subjects that interest you, ask for help finding the books if you need help, then just browse. You don't need to read ten books in a night to get interested and get hooked. Try starting with ten minutes a night and work from there. Children are great imitators, and if they see you reading for enjoyment, they will want to be like you. Next, start reading to your children - as soon as they arrive. We actually started reading to Alex before he was even born. Sometimes we read children's books to him, but he didn't mind if my husband or I read a novel out loud. We enjoyed the relaxing together time while Alex became accustomed to our voices. After he was born, we made sure to follow the "at least twenty minutes a day" rule for him, every day. We bought simple board books (but you can check them out at the library if you don't have money to spend) and let him enjoy them. Usually we went far beyond the twenty minutes each day - sometimes we would do three or four ten minute sessions. Alex naturally thought that this was great fun - because he had our attention and we were doing something together. At twenty months of age, I think storytime is Alex's favorite time of day. He regularly brings whatever his current favorite books are to me and we read them... and sometimes we read them over and over and over. (Repetition is apparently very enjoyable at this time - and I confess, when I get really sick of a book, I do put it away for a while by hiding it under the couch.) Ask your child to point out various things in the pictures, and when your child learns to talk, point at things yourself and say, "what's that?" When your child grows older, you can ask more complex questions about the stories - just stay interested and engaged with them. Older children should be encouraged to read what appeals to them. Some people question the value of certain books - for example, the Goosebumps series. Your child won't be reading Goosebumps forever, and later your child will branch out on his or her own. I myself went through a Nancy Drew phase, followed by a teen romance phase, followed by a Stephen King phase (and I still love Stephen King). From there I branched out to all kinds of fiction, as well as non-fiction. I love autobiographies, novels, science fiction, magazines... almost anything that is well written. Why is all of this so important? Children who grow up to be readers have a great ability, not only to entertain themselves when they are bored, but to open up entire worlds that they might never otherwise discover. Nothing saddens me more than seeing a child who doesn't like to read. I worked in a large bookstore for two years and it was very clear which children had parents who read to them and who were readers themselves. One day a man came in with his son, saying that his son needed some easy chapter books because he was having trouble learning to read. I said that I thought we could find something interesting for him, and casually remarked that reading was one of my favorite things to do. This boy looked at me like I was from some other world. I just felt sad. Clearly, reading wasn't valued at his home. Give yourself and your children a gift that will last forever - read to them and learn to enjoy reading yourself. Whole worlds await you!  |
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