Tips for Encouraging Your Child to Read

By Martha Caldwell

According to Maryanne Wolfe, author of Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science
of the Reading Brain, learning to read begins the first time you hold your baby in
your arms and read a picture book to her. At first she may bat at the pages and lose
interest quickly, but in a few months she will be bringing you her favorite books and
climbing into your lap to hear the story.

How often parents read to their preschoolers is one of the best predictors of how
well that child will do in school. Wolfe tells us that middle class kindergarteners
enter school having heard up to 32 million more words spoken than less privileged
children whose parents haven’t read to them. These words, along with the syntax
characteristic of reading, are stored in their brains, giving them a huge advantage in
school. “Children who have never had a story read to them, who never hear words
that rhyme, who never imagine fighting with dragons or marrying a prince, have the
odds overwhelmingly against them,” writes Wolfe.

Besides, reading aloud to your child, here are 5 more tips for encouraging your child
learn to read and love to read.

1. Set an example. Children emulate whatever their parents do, so show your
child that you’re a reader. Let your child see your reading. Take a book
wherever you go.

2. Help your child choose the right books. Whether you’re reading aloud to
your child, or he is reading alone, it’s important to help your child select the
right books. Books need to be appropriate to his reading level and match his
interests. Find books that will about topics that will draw his attention and
keep him enthralled. Even pre-verbal children have definite preferences in
books. A toddler may be interested in books about animals, cars and trucks
or bath time. A ten-year-old may enjoy books about dragons or super heroes.

3. Talk with your child about what he is reading. Conversations about
books help generate interest in reading and also deepen comprehension.
Besides the academic benefits, talking to your child about books strengths
your relationship. Through conversations about books, you gain the
opportunity to convey important values to your child. A book about the life
of Abraham Lincoln, for instance, can provide an avenue for you to talk to
your child about the value of hard work and determination. Talking about
books also lets you know what your child is thinking and what his interests
are.

4. Introduce your child to all kinds of books. It is important or your child
to read different kinds of writing. Every child loves picture books and
storybooks, but they also like to read poetry, biographies, how-to books, and
science books. What child doesn’t enjoy learning about dinosaurs and the
solar system?

5. Make reading fun! Experts say children should spend some time every day
reading, so why not make it fun. If children find reading enjoyable, they will
look forward to reading and begin to seek out books they want to read. By
reading aloud to your child and enjoying reading with him sets the stage for a
life-long love of reading.