Well I must admit, my two have been like chalk and cheese with their reading. My daughter would read endlessly when she was little, and my son. Well let’s just say he was probably allergic to books! In this article Alison has some very handy hints to get your children on the right reading track.
Sometimes when you first start out reading it does not seem like much fun. You have to sound out all the words and even reading a sentence or two takes forever. That is why a lot of kids never really enjoy reading. They see it as a chore or homework. However reading is not a chore In fact it can be one of the best adventures you can have as a child. Here are some tips to help you fall in love with reading:
- Start out small – Many children start out trying to read big novels or adult books. This can make it hard to get into the books because they use words you do not understand or they are just plain boring. Instead, start out small. Comic books and illustrated books make reading more fun. Even if you do not understand a word you can look at the picture and tell what is going on. Once you get into reading illustrated books you can get a bigger vocabulary and strengthen your reading skills so that you can enjoy bigger and bigger books.
- Find out what you like – Not everyone likes to read the same thing. Just like how some kids like superhero movies and other ones like movies about animals, everyone is different. Maybe you like to learn about real people and what has happened in the past or maybe you like to read about adventure and excitement in far off places, or maybe you like to read about aliens and monsters from space. Find out what you like to read by trying lots of different books. You do not have to read what all your friends are reading. Find out what you like best and you will like reading better.
- Make it into a movie – When I read the words become a movie in my head. This allows me to really see what is happening in the book even though it might not have pictures. Try practicing this skill. Think of a place or a person and close your eyes. Can you see them? The better your mind can see things the more fun you will have reading.
- Make up your own stories – I love to make up my own stories, even if I never write them down. It is kind of like dreaming, only you are awake. You can sit or lie down and close your eyes and come up with a story. Maybe it is about your home or your school or maybe it is about space or dinosaurs. Come up with your own stories and you will have more fun reading other people’s stories. You can even write down or tell people the stories you make up. Do you think you could become a writer? If you can create a story then you can!
Loving reading is not hard. All it takes is starting out slowly and really getting into the stories you read. Pick up a lot of books and find out which ones you like best. Remember that a story can be a whole world to explore. Every time you read a book you get a little bit smarter and a little bit stronger. The more books you read the more fun you can have, so have fun reading!