Some parents rely on the school system to provide the literacy education that the child needs but in fact it is the parents’ job to find books that will interest your child and get them to read or if they are not able to read yet, YOU can read to them.
This can be as simple as getting books that your child can relate to. For example if they are learning how to ride a bike, get books on bikes. If you’re going on a camping trip, get camping books. Have you made a trip to the zoo lately? Get a Zoo book.
Freedom of choice is a key to getting them motivated and excited. They get to pick out their own books which will motivate them to read. Most children complain that there is no book that they want to read or are interested in. This can solve the problem and there will be “no more excuses.”
Let them read whatever they’d like especially boys. If all they want to read is comics, joke books, pop-ups, let them. Boys have different reading needs than do girls. As long as they are reading they are building their literacy skills. Libraries are the best places for kids to find books that kids will gobble up and most bookstores and book websites offer a large variety of children’s books.
Reality Check: Due to technology gobbling up most of parents’ time, most of us don’t realize that we are failing our kids as role models. The best role models are in the home (parents, siblings, grandparents) and not in the schools. It is important that your kids see you read (books and newspapers) all the time.
Incorporate into your household 20 to 30 minutes of reading either daily or on special days of the week. These 20 or 30 minutes would be considered a drop everything and read (no television, phone, computer, or anything that can be a distraction) that goes for parents too!
When parents read with their children, they are fostering the bonds of healthy interpersonal relationships. The benefits of reading are unequivocally positive.
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