Motivate and captivate your kids to literacy: The importance of reading

You found this article because like me, reading serves an important role in raising your child(ren) and well it should. Numerous studies prove that the positive effects of reading and literature in a child’s life are monumental and as they grow older it will have a large impact on their scholastic success.

It has been shown that a child exposed to an abundance of literature at early stages of their development tends to apply and profit greatly from educational opportunities presented to them in school while one who is less accustomed to reading and writing, will most likely struggle with the same opportunities. Listening to someone read stimulates a child’s imagination, helps teach good listening skills and increases their attention span. For those who are already literate, reading helps build vocabulary, keep reasoning and memory abilities in good shape and increases intake of general knowledge.

As the school year grows nigh, find time to increase involvement in and awareness of your children’s interest in reading. Start involving preschoolers and kindergarteners more in your story time together. Follow words with your finger as you read and explain their meaning. Help your child sound words out or let them fill in the blanks. Have them discuss the stories and let them predict what will happen next.

Reading is engaging and illuminating. It opens up a world of experiences for adolescents apart from their own. If your child is already reading, make it more exciting by giving books as gifts and playing games that are reading related. Create a comfortable reading area so they will be more tempted to sit and enjoy time with a book. Be sure they have both fiction and non-fiction to indulge in and if they want to read about farming lima beans or raising platypuses don’t ask questions. Just let them explore.

In Adams County, there are several great resources for finding books that will suit your child’s interests and needs. Six branch libraries and one book mobile are available to your advantage. Here are a few of my families’ favorite books to start you off. They are fun to read aloud or great for guided and beginning readers.

Do Not Open by Brinton Turkle
Where The Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
Llama Llama Mad at Mama by Anna Dewdney
Skippyjon Jones by Judy Schachner
Little Tom and the Big Cats by Jozef Wilkon (English version by Gwen Marsh)
Wacky Wednesday by Theo. LeSieg (aka Dr. Seuss)
There is a Bird on Your Head! By MoWillems
The Harry Potter Series by JK Rowling

Your child probably has their own list of favorite books they bring to you over and OVER again. You might have thought to yourself, “If I have to say ‘One fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish,’ ONE more time…..” but their need and appeal for repetition has reason. It is soothing and reassuring. It plays a vital part in developing their thinking, critical reaction and language skills and builds their connection of spoken words with printed ones. Despite your possible boredom in reading the same book time and again suck it up. Re-reading stories leads children to memorization and these are the books they usually learn to read first.

Most importantly, set a good example for your child. Let them see you partake in books that you enjoy and invite them to join you. Pull them away from T.V. shows and video games and stop worrying about your dignity. Let loose using goofy character voices and sound effects while reading aloud. Laugh with them and let them laugh at you! Slow down and take time to enjoy your children as they embark on this literary adventure.

For More Info:
http://knowledgeloom.org/resources.jsp?location=6&bpinterid=1393&spotlightid=1393
http://www.readingonline.org/electronic/elec_index.asp?HREF=/electronic/webwatch/phonics/
http://www.rif.org/parents/motivate/default.mspx
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/07/13/health/webmd/main1803926.shtml