Tips for getting into reading from a young age
Improve Literacy Newsletter
Hi all,
Just a short newsletter this month as it's a hectic time of the year for us at the moment! We'll
have a jam-packed issue next month to make up for it.
Anyway, here are our top 5 tips for getting
your child into reading from a young age:
1. Join the local library!
In the past the local library was nearly always
a grey, dreary place where you had to be completely silent or else risk the anger
of the librarians and other readers. Nowadays they are mostly bright, friendly and
comfortable places where children are encouraged to go and learn all about books
and reading in a fun environment. All you need is a library card - which is almost
always free - and the motivation to go there with your child once a week. It's a
great and cheap way to introduce an inquisitive child to the world of books, and
the librarians will always help you find suitable reading material tailored to the
child's age.
2. Read with, not to, your child
It's always a good idea to treat a reading
session as an interactive exercise rather than just a one-way activity. Rather than
reading the book, or chapter, from beginning to end, check your young reader's understanding
of what is happening in the story as you go. You can ask her questions about what
has happened, or what she thinks is going to happen next. Also, asking whether she
feels happy or sad about events in the story can promote emotional involvement in
the story, and can really help with early reading comprehension skills.
3. Subscribe to a comic or magazine
Depending on your child's age, getting regular
comic books or magazines delivered can be a great way to get your child to read
avidly. The anticipation of the next instalment is bound to keep your child excited
and, because of the content, he won't feel like reading is a chore in the way that
he might with a school book. Just make sure that the content is suitable for the
age group, and be on hand to help with any tricky words or phrases.
4. Record books on to cassette
A really good activity for a children's party,
or for a small group of friends, is to take turns reading a story out loud and recording
it on to a cassette. It's always funny to listen back to the recording, and you
can guarantee the kids will love hearing their own voices when it comes to their
turn. Alternatively they could each play a different character in the story,and
read out that character's lines.
5. Create a bedtime reading routine
Start a bedtime reading routine that your
child can really look forward to. It could be once a week, or every night if you
want. A popular one is start off with a bath, with lots of toys and bubbles in the
bathtub. Then it’s on with the cosy fresh pyjamas and snuggle up in bed together
with as many books as you have time to read. Each child chooses at least one book
to bring along, and the adult chooses one too. After all the books (or as many as
possible) are read, it’s time for sleep.
A further twist on this is to choose books within a specific category (magic, adventure,
a particular author, etc.).