Creating Lifelong Readers

Reading is an important skill that everyone must have. One has to be able to read in order to get through school, go to college, and find employment. People often read for entertainment, for knowledge, and even for work. It can, however, be tricky at times to get ones child to read, but also piquing their interest in reading a variety of subjects. It may be even harder for children to fully understand the importance of books and/or reading when their lives are filled with the newest technology. However, there are important steps one can take to turn ones child into a lifelong reader.

Start Them Young

Start reading to ones child when they are very young. This not only provides a great time for one to spend with his or her child, but the child benefits from this time immensely. Reading to ones child helps them to develop their language skills and helps them to use their imagination. Try reading to ones child daily and set a routine. Read a story to them every night before going bed and start a “quiet-time” routine. This helps ones child to relax and calm down before going to sleep.

Make Them Read Daily

As ones child gets older and they are able to read themselves, set time aside for them to read daily. The time should vary depending on their age and/or reading ability. If one read to ones child when they were younger, try to keep that same schedule. For example, if one read a book or story every night before going bed, have ones child read a book, or story before bedtime. If a child is learning to read, have them read to a parent, sibling, and/or grandparent every day. This will help them develop strong reading skills.

Choose a Variety of Genres

There are many different kinds of genres one can read from. There is poetry, fiction, non-fiction, action, and romance to name a few. Try choosing different subjects for ones child to read as he or she gets older. This will help them to develop strong reading skills and can help with reading comprehension. If a child is young one can still introduce different genres, but one may need to explain the differences between the various kinds of material.

Teaching a child to appreciate various literary works is very important. This is a skill that they will need as they grow up into adults. The best part of reading are the “places” one can visit, the “adventures” one can go on, and the knowledge one can gain from it. These are things that will alway stay with a person and that can never be taken from them. Teaching a child to read is one of the best gifts a parent can give their child.