THE VALUE OF READING

Helping to instill a love of reading in your child is a gift that will keep giving. A child who enjoys reading and who can read critically has access to a world of information and pleasure. By sharing the joys of reading with your child, you enlarge her world.

So how do you develop a love of reading in your child? There are many approaches to teaching reading, but experts agree on several points:

• Children tend to model what they see. If you read as part of your everyday routine, your children most likely will too. Let your children see you reading the newspaper, reading a book, reading recipes, reading letters, reading to find answers to questions, etc…
• Long before children can read, they can enjoy having books read to them. Young children can learn many things from “read alouds,” including how to hold a book, that text moves from left to right, that written words have a rhythm to them, and that books are interesting, fun, and filled with ideas and lessons.
• As your child is learning to recognize words, let her find them in the text. Or help her to recognize rhyming words in text (Dr. Seuss’ books are great for this!) You can also let her point to the words as you read them. However you work with her, keep it fun for both of you; if she begins to feel pressured, the reading time quickly loses its appeal.
• Even after they are reading on their own, most children (and adults!) enjoy having books read aloud to them. This allows you to read books with more challenging concepts and discuss them with your child. Books are a great introduction to many complicated ideas that you and your child can discuss together.
• Setting aside a time when you read every day is a worthwhile routine. For many parents, this time works well right before bed. Reading becomes a calming, loving time for parent and child, and sets up a habit which may last a lifetime.
• For suggested book lists for each age-level, check with your local library or your child’s school. Many libraries have reading lists and incentive programs, which reward children who keep track of the number of books they read.
• There are also many books available to help with transitions in your child’s life. There are books on virtually every topic, from potty training to separation anxiety, from pets to dealing with a death or divorce. Let books help you help your child.

There is a saying that reads, “A good book is a good friend.” Have fun introducing your child to friends that she will turn to throughout her life.

For more ideas, we recommend the following sites:

Storyplace: The Children's Digital Library and its sister site BookHive have book reviews, online stories, and activities for children of all ages. StoryPlace also has stories and activities in Spanish.

RIF Reading Planet contains articles for adults, activity suggestions, book reviews, and places for kids to post their own writing. One great feature is a "book finder" which allows children to search for books based on their age and interests.

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