Reading is one of the basic skills that helps to develop an individual’s mental faculties. It is not only an academic or professional skill but also a means to indulge in creative, informative and inspiring pursuits to cultivate a holistic attitude and enrich life experiences.
Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.
– Richard Steele
Reading develops our vocabulary, promotes analytical thinking and reasoning skills, and increases the attention span, among other innumerable benefits for lifelong success.
Reading for children
Developing reading habits in children needs time and dedication. The key to encouraging reading habits in children is reading with them from a young age so that it almost becomes a staple! Other ways to teach the reading habit in children may be:
- Make Reading Fun – Reading a book a child is comfortable with can help boost a child’s imagination, remove reading obstacles and ignite an interest in reading. To begin with, cartoon books and books with lots of graphics are what children relate to. He can now connect to the cartoon character he watched on the television. It makes the experience fun and enjoyable. The child will then be motivated to pick up the book and develop a habit of reading.
- Bring Reading to Life – Visualization is the key to holding the interest. Bringing stories to life is beneficial for making a child love reading. It is good to take the child on a trip where he can see the animals in the zoo, the flowers in the park, activities at the seaside, or the animals’ sounds in the barn after he has just read about them. Involving multiple senses ensures positive learning.
- Create a Reading Nook – Create an area in the house where a child can read independently or with a buddy. Push in some comfortable seating, fun accessories, a variety of books, and good lighting to access the particular area whenever he wants to read.
- Keep other Reading materials too – Give the child access to books and other reading materials such as magazines, comics, tabs, graphics, kindle– anything with the written word that gives the child exposure and experience. It helps the child to understand that reading can happen anywhere, not only at school.
- Encourage Reading Anywhere and Everywhere – Teach the child that reading can happen anywhere, not just from books. The list is endless: reading travel itineraries, menu cards, road signs, posters and hoardings, instructions in games, safety instruction manuals in an aircraft, ingredients and nutrients on that packet of chips.
- Visit the Public Library – Library books are a fantastic resource for the child. Reading habit can be promoted by engaging the child by enrolling in book clubs at the library, word games with friends and several other activities.
- Find the genres of interest – Let the child decide what book they would like to read. They will read with ease, having found their genres of interest. Decision making will be enhanced, and the child will want more and more to choose from. Investigate various genres such as mystery, science fiction, comic books, etc. The more engaged your child is in a subject, the more eager they will be to read about it!
- Reading with a Buddy – It is a fantastic concept since youngsters like demonstrating their abilities to younger siblings. Try having them read a short book to their younger friend; the outcomes will astound you! Not only will the language and reading levels increase, but it will also be a terrific bonding experience for the children!
- Audio Books and Interactive Reading Apps are excellent – With our millennial kids adept at technology, exposing them to reading apps and audiobooks on a phone or tabs is the way to go. Audiobooks can be a lot of fun and easy to understand, especially where the child makes an effort to emulate the sounds.
- Get the child interested in a series – Getting a child hooked on series reading can inculcate his curiosity and learn about plots and story construction. Educational series or fictional books are a great way to keep the child engrossed in books for a while and make reading a habit. The Encyclopaedia Britannica and Harry Potter series are probably every child’s favourite!
As a final say, make books a habit for the child. Books, as they say, are a man’s best friend.
Ruby Park Public School: Your gateway to world-class education
Ruby Park Public School strives to educate and nurture kids to build a strong community of future-ready citizens and leaders. At RPPS, children are taught life skills such as caring for themselves, others, and the environment through comprehensive pedagogy techniques.
Being affiliated with the CBSE board, it visions to impart 21st-century skills to its students and maintain a delicate balance between traditional values and modern ethos. The refreshing and peaceful learning environment has stimulated the students to successfully achieve the highest standards of discipline and excellence in their educational endeavours.
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