Encouraging Reading Habit in Children
Reading is a good habit which should be encouraged in children.
If they develop this habit at a young age, it can stay with them for life.
The habit can grow as these children continue to age and grow bigger.
So, as a responsible parent, we should try to encourage our children to read books.
But this can be a very difficult task at first.
Most of the children are too busy playing with their toys or with friends.
They are addicted to TV, cartoons and video games.
So they might be totally uninterested in reading books.
If we don't do something about it, our kids may grow up without the love of books.
So we need to make efforts to teach them the joys of reading.
One of the things you can do is read aloud stories to your young children.
You can set aside a fixed time everyday which is convenient for all.
This time will serve as a family union time where parents will read aloud some story for a few minutes while the kids listen.
Then you can ask one of the kids to read for a few minutes.
Firstly, this will be a precious time together for the whole family.
The love and bonding between parents and children can grow and become stronger when you have such times everyday.
Secondly, this will introduce children to the wonderful world of books.
You will be helping and encouraging them to develop the useful habit of reading.
Once your child reaches the age of 1, you can start this daily habit of reading for at least 20 to 30 minutes.
As soon as the child is able to read by himself, you should encourage him to read aloud the same story after you have read it.
You should try to find out the interests of your child.
What kind of books and stories does he like? Discuss which stories he liked best and why.
Apart from stories, you should also buy books related to science and history as appropriate according to your child's age.
You shouldn't encourage them to read only story books, but shift to non-fiction and other useful reading material whenever it is appropriate for them.
Again find out the interests of your child - whether he is more interested in science, history, languages etc.
Sometimes on weekends, you can take your kids to a local library or buy them magazines suitable for their age instead of comic books.
This again can be helpful in encouraging them to read useful stuff rather than just fairy tales or comic stories.
If they develop this habit at a young age, it can stay with them for life.
The habit can grow as these children continue to age and grow bigger.
So, as a responsible parent, we should try to encourage our children to read books.
But this can be a very difficult task at first.
Most of the children are too busy playing with their toys or with friends.
They are addicted to TV, cartoons and video games.
So they might be totally uninterested in reading books.
If we don't do something about it, our kids may grow up without the love of books.
So we need to make efforts to teach them the joys of reading.
One of the things you can do is read aloud stories to your young children.
You can set aside a fixed time everyday which is convenient for all.
This time will serve as a family union time where parents will read aloud some story for a few minutes while the kids listen.
Then you can ask one of the kids to read for a few minutes.
Firstly, this will be a precious time together for the whole family.
The love and bonding between parents and children can grow and become stronger when you have such times everyday.
Secondly, this will introduce children to the wonderful world of books.
You will be helping and encouraging them to develop the useful habit of reading.
Once your child reaches the age of 1, you can start this daily habit of reading for at least 20 to 30 minutes.
As soon as the child is able to read by himself, you should encourage him to read aloud the same story after you have read it.
You should try to find out the interests of your child.
What kind of books and stories does he like? Discuss which stories he liked best and why.
Apart from stories, you should also buy books related to science and history as appropriate according to your child's age.
You shouldn't encourage them to read only story books, but shift to non-fiction and other useful reading material whenever it is appropriate for them.
Again find out the interests of your child - whether he is more interested in science, history, languages etc.
Sometimes on weekends, you can take your kids to a local library or buy them magazines suitable for their age instead of comic books.
This again can be helpful in encouraging them to read useful stuff rather than just fairy tales or comic stories.
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