How To Help Your Child With Reading

Reading good books is a great habit that should be inculcated in a child, since a very tender age. If your child grows up reading good books, the mere habit increases his/her concentration power and helps build a better personality as well. Helping your child read is also a good way to make him/her understand the sounds of various words and their meanings. Developing the habit of reading in a child is not possible overnight, especially when he/she is not acquainted with the reading culture. We are here to help you with guidance on how to help your child with reading. Go through the following lines and get tips on the same.

 

Creating a reader-friendly atmosphere at home is important, if you want to develop the habit of reading in your child. Your kid should feel that books and the habit of reading are valued at your home. If you have a collection of books, then making a small library at home is a good idea. Arrange the books neatly on the shelf.

 

Make the habit of reading a part of the routine. Set some time aside, to sit down with your child and explore the stories in the books. This could also be the bedtime, if your child is interested in listening to stories before going to bed. While reading out a bedtime story to your preschooler, show the beautiful and colorful pictures displayed in the book. Hand over the books to your kid, so that he/she learns how to turn the pages, without tearing them.

 

In the course of reading out a story, do not forget to explain the meaning of words that your child doesn't understand. Spell out the words as well. This will help increase the vocabulary of your kid.

Children love stories filled with fantasies. Get a collection of fantasy story books for your child. Read the stories along with him. Narrate them repeatedly, unless he/she looses interest. This way, your kid will know every word of the story by heart. This creates a familiarity with the story and breeds confidence in the child, to read it without your assistance.

 

When you give your child a chance to read out without your help, make sure that you sit beside him/her. Just listen to how he spells out the words and goes about narrating the story. Do not force him to follow a specific style of narration. Instead, ask him to develop his own style of narrating stories. In the process, make sure that you correct his mistakes.

 

You may join a library and get a collection of books. Take your child along, when you visit the library. This way, he will be acquainted with the reading culture outside the home as well. As the child gets older, enroll him in the library. By making your child choose his books, you will actually be giving him a sense of control on the choice of reading.

 

One of the most recent methods used to develop the habit of independent reading comprises of the use of audio books. Give your kid a book and its audio version and let him/her read along with the spoken words. This will allow the child to gain confidence in reading the stories independently, without parental guidance.