Make reading fun for your child
Read It is one of the greatest pleasures for adults. In addition, reading is also a way to grow in freedom and acquire all kinds of knowledge and experiences that could not be achieved without these friends with letters. That is why it is important to transmit that to our children, for whom reading is one of the most important steps in their education.
And is that children like books long before they are born and enjoy when they tell them stories. This is one of the first literary experiences that can also become the pillar where the possible future will be built eagerness to read of our children. Therefore we must know how to stimulate the little ones in this sense since working to be good readers is something very beneficial for their development, since reading stimulates the imagination and helps the progress of abstract thinking.
Prepare your child to read
As parents, our mission is to foster in our children a taste for reading as we are their main references in this field. For this it is important that you teach the more how much fun reading can be and how to prepare it for when you start learning to read.
For this we can have fun with our children through games, singing songs, having conversations and reading aloud. Activities to give the little literacy skills that they will later need at school. These activities help the child begin to connect the words they hear with the ones they see and this is the first step to make them a good reader.
Reading is the result of many knowledge that the child will acquire throughout his life preschool stage. It is important that at this time we give you opportunities to lay the foundations of these learning, here we offer some daily activities where the child can experience the pleasure of learning to read.
Games to encourage reading
- Identify the letters:
Between 3 and 6 years old, that is to say, in the pre-school stage the children already know a lot about the language. They know that people take turns talking to each other. They understand that the letters have meaning and can even identify some letters of the alphabet. They memorize their favorite stories and make them see that they read while they turn the pages of the book.
Give your child opportunities to practice what he knows and explore everything that is printed around you. Literature must be a game for him, that fills the world with his fantasy and that progressively broadens and enriches his command of language. If at home he has access to his small library and we encourage him to spend some time with the books, reading will be a pleasure for him, an authentic diversion, although at the beginning it requires an effort, more or less important.
- Call things by their names:
Talking with your child throughout the day is one of the most important things you can do to prepare him for reading. Your conversations will teach you new words and help you to know how to listen and talk with others. To make sure that your little one gets the most out of your conversations, it is advisable that you use words that you would use with other adults, for example, talk about cars and not about brum-brum.
When asked about any topic, try asking open-ended questions, such as "Why do you think this has happened?" At the time of answering, your child must find a patient listener in you. Let her complete her thoughts, as this will help her to strengthen her confidence and improve her ability to express herself.
- Read out loud:
Several studies have shown that reading aloud is the best way to give a child those tools he will need to be a good reader, listener and student. Reading together with your children is also a special moment for you and that helps strengthen the bond between father and mother and child. Let her curl up beside you while you both share the stories, laugh at the story, about the characters, live it!
With books, the child You can learn many things as concepts, the behavior that can have before a book (respect it, share it, etc.), or the expressions, through characters with different personalities. They also learn to understand the feelings, because the protagonists laugh, cry, suffer, have a good time.
On the other hand, it is good to look for collections of books that transmit values such as TJ books, the collection La Mochila de Astor (Ed. Palbra), or the Ki-Kids books, from the collection Somos un Buen Equipo (Ed. Essential) Minds), etc.
- A little bit of reading before going to sleep:
This preschool phase is very important because it is where your child will take the habit and taste for reading. Children love being read a book before going to sleep. Take advantage and enjoy that moment with your son. You will be looking for a happy memory of his childhood and you will create a good habit for them throughout their lives.
- When the child begins to read:
Be constant and try to find a moment before he goes to bed to share it with him and his favorite book. But remember that the parents we can never force the child, although we know the importance of reading. If your child refuses to read, he may not be ready yet or he may not have received enough motivation. Knowing the character of your child will help you find imaginative solutions to attract you to the world of literature that will awaken your imagination and creativity.
- The example of the parents:
To achieve children readers it is very important that See you read to you, because the child learns basically by imitation and by his own creativity. You can share some kind of book or magazine, from time to time. At other times it is good to comment, ask, discuss, argue about everything you have seen or read with them.
Read every day, even if they are Few minutes, (it is not necessary that it be a book, it can be a magazine or a comic), it helps to improve reading and learning skills. Take advantage of this stage in the life of your child, it is a good time to acquire this habit.
Other methods
In addition to the aforementioned exercises, there are other techniques with which we can encourage the love of books in our children:
- When you go out for a walk or when you go shopping, you can play with signs and announcements. Take advantage of those that you know he will identify or know how to read. Congratulate him when he hits you or when he finds words you say.
- If at any time you see that it costs you, you can read him a page and another he. Take advantage of and reinforce the intonations so that you get used to them and have a good reading comprehension.
- At 6 years old, the child is already of reading age, so you have to continue to motivate him with the topics that you like the most. For example, a book that talks about your favorite animal, or the great inventions of science. The important thing is that you take the pleasure for reading, you find interesting to spend time with books.
- If you're more of a nervous person, do not get impatient with your son if you see that it costs a little more. If he notices that it disturbs you, he will block himself and will not be able to read a line. It is better to leave it for another time.
- At these ages it will help you start with books that contain a lot of image and little text. For example, books of riddles, illustrated dictionaries children, encyclopedias for children, comic books. In short, stories intended for these ages that have virtually no text and many illustrations.
Ana Aznar
Advice: Silvia Gallostra, Psychopedagogue of Essential Minds
