Help Your Child to Read from a Tender Age
Many parents are pressured to get their children started on reading as early as possible. Often parents just don’t know what to do besides bringing their kids to the library or buying them loads of books.
Well, that’s a good start.
Here are 3 simple things you can also try:
- Children learn by example.
Let your child see you reading for recreation (novels, magazines, whatever else you enjoy reading) or for information (newspapers, magazines, books) as often as possible. This means as parents, you must be the role model and genuinely enjoy reading.
- Let your children see you reading and writing in as many different daily activities as possible.
E.g. reading an advertisement or menu, writing a note or card, pointing out traffic signs and road names, reading food labels, recipe books, etc. These will help your child see the relevance and importance of reading and writing in our daily lives.
- Encourage your child to write and then “read” stories, signs or cards.
It doesn’t matter if they are only pretending and do not fully understand. Praise them for trying.
Source: Edited from “Give Your Child a Headstart in Reading” by Gail Rahman for the Society for Reading and Literacy