A book is a very important instrument that improves imagination, develops creative and logic thinking, extends vocabulary, has a positive influence on memory and many more. When you read you give a new life to stories or fairy tales as we imagine characters, their feelings, the settings of the story. Despite the fact that we now live in the world of science and technology development, reading is a great way of learning. People who read are cleverer than those who do not as they receive a big amount of information that you can know from books only. Moreover, it is the best way to engage with your kids. It’s worth noting that thanks to reading you and your kids can encourage your verbal skills. For example, it will help your kids develop the capacity for clear and precise expression. There are so many benefits of reading that is why it is so important for you to find the best way to teach kids to love books. We have chosen effective ways to teach kids how to read. We hope that find the right way for your kids.
Read out loud to your kids
One of the best ways to teach your kids to love books is to read loud out to them. In the beginning, you can show them different pictures from the books for small kids and gradually start to read simple funny children’s poems and songs. When you read to small kids it is important to read with melodious and measured voice. In this case, children better assimilate what you read. It’s worth noting that it is also important to choose the right time to read for a child and not to force them when they play active games. The time when a mother and a father read to the child should be pleasant for him/her and stimulate positive emotions because the child will want to repeat it. What is more important is the time together with the parents and warm memories about how they read interesting stories can inspire them for an entire life to love reading. Make reading book an everyday tradition and do not disrupt it. You can read not only before your kid is going to bed but also in the middle of the day when the kids are usually calm. First, read small fairy tales or stories and then, after some time, you can try to read bigger stories with a sequel. Moreover, when you read out loud to your kids it helps them develop their vocabulary skills. As the kids for whom parents read books come across a bigger amount of words than in usual familiar language and learn how to identify and pronounce them. One more advantage of reading out loud to your kids is that when you are reading your children create their own imaginative world where all the heroes of the books become alive. Meanwhile, the encouragement of imagination is one of the most important steps on the way of forming a creative personality.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions so you can check their comprehension skills
It is very important to discuss with your kids what you have been reading about. You can ask your child what does he/she remember the most about the story or fairy tale you read. Does he/she like the characters of the story? Does he/she agree with the ending of the story or fairy tale? It will help improve your child’s vocabulary and develop communication skills. When we ask kids to explain something to us, express their opinion or simply remind some details of the story, that we “forgot” we help them to interact with the story and improve their understanding of it. It’s worth noting that you have to ask your child to provide a detailed response to all questions. It helps teach your child to improve his/her communication skills and use more complicated vocabulary. Moreover, the necessity of answering your questions will help to teach your kids to listen to you with more attention. It is good to ask questions before you start reading, while you read a story or a fairy tale, and after reading. You have to remember that the discussion of the story should not cause kids’ any negative emotions. The better way to start the discussion is to ask your kid to describe the illustration to the book that you are reading now. Thanks to that you can improve your kids’ verbal skills. What is more important it helps teach them how to form a detailed story. If your kids can not answer your questions just tell them what you were asking about.
Be a good role model
One more way to teach your kids love books is to show that you love to read. For example, you can read newspapers, magazines, or books when your kids are playing near you. They will immediately notice that you are interested in reading and will also want to immerse in with the world of books. It is better if you read every day. Even if you don’t read at all, it is better if you find some time to read as the kids want to imitate their parents’ behavior and start to show interest in reading. As the new generation most of in the virtual world of their tablets, computers, and other gadgets their parents’ example became one of the main ways to stimulate kids to read. You can also try to discuss with your kids the book that you are reading now or you can even to read out loud some episodes of the books. For example, you can read to them the description of nature. Your kids will be happy that you give a chance to touch your book. You can also try to discuss the book you have read with other adults when kids are playing near you. It will stimulate kids to have a similar hobby with you and, what is more important, they will know that they can always talk with you about the story they have read.
Try to bring elements of the game in reading
If you turn reading into a game you will not spend a minute to persuade your kids to take a book. For example, you can create your own home theatre and make a different performance based on the stories or fairy tales that your kid has read. You can invite his/her friends or grandparents to the performance. Moreover, you can make a competition among your child and his/her friends who knows the story the best. You together with your kid can also create your own stories, paint main characterizes, make a performance of the theatre of shadows and many other things.
Each kid learns at their own pace
Parents should remember that every child is different. Don’t compare your child to other children of his/her age or to older sibling. It is better for parents to learn different strategies on how they can get their kids interested in reading and comprehension. Don’t force your kids to read books. It will only make reading unbearable for them. You should know what your kids like, what they are interested in and according to this find the right way for your kids to fall in love with reading books. If you really know your child it is pretty easy to find a book that will be very exciting to him/her. It worth noting that it is very important to find a way how to help kids use their imagination, learn more words and their meaning, and help them grow in their own pace of reading.
Before starting to look for an effective way to teach young kids how to read, parents should answer the question: Why do we want to instill a love for reading in them? You can give a lot of answers, but we think that the most important things about the books are developing kids’ imagination, their emotional intelligence, and empathy. Moreover, it is a safe way to understand different life situations through the characters of a book. The books are an amazing tool to encourage emotional skills of your kids. In addition, it will help discuss very important issues with your kids. Children sometimes do not listen to you when you try to talk with them about good and bad things in life. But when you read a story and main characters face serious problems and are responsible for their actions, it is a great opportunity to talk with your kids about various difficult situations that they can have in their life. You should remember that if you want your children to love reading books you need to read to them every day, ask questions, be a good role model and many more. Make reading a family tradition, continue read to your kids even they can do it on their own. Don’t forget that each kid is different. You should really know what your kid is interested in and only then you will find the right book for your child. Let them read what they like. Just remember that you are the best teacher for your kids.
