Photo courtesy of: Kinga Cichewicz@ all_who_wander
When I was at the library the other
day I saw parents and children hunting down books assigned for the summer
reading break.
Depending on how much time your child has to complete the book, this can be a hassle, especially if they procrastinate.
Depending on how much time your child has to complete the book, this can be a hassle, especially if they procrastinate.
The book may not be in stock at the library or the bookstore and it needs to be reserved (thank goodness for the Nook and Kindle); or your child is sulking about the prospect of trading out their blinking and beeping electronic device for some old prosaic paperback.
The horror!
Ahh,
I remember those days with my own children fondly. The bargaining, the time
setting, the reward systems, the intense debates.
For
those lucky folk pioneering into this new territory of parenthood (or those
who've been braving it out for many a year), I would like to pass on what I
learned during my struggle to convince my kids that reading can be fun.
1. Set a time limit
The amount of time you expect your child
to read depends on their age. Beginning readers should
strive to read 15-20 minutes a day. As my children grew in age and skill, I extended
their summer reading time.
2. Reward System
When
my children reached middle-school age, if they wanted to play video games, they had to read for an hour first.
3. Take Turns
Alternate reading portions of the book with your child. You can break it
down by page, character, or chapter.
4. Change the location
Read at the park, or the beach, or
wherever you feel inspired.
5. Make it fun
Read with different accents. Thanks to the
Harry Potter Series we've got some pretty stellar British accents in my
house.
Whether your child is a baby or in high-school, reading everyday is great for their health. It's good for grown-ups, too. So, grab a novel, curl up next to your budding reader, and get lost in a book!
How do you get your children to read?
No comments:
Post a Comment