Easy and Effective Ways to Build Reading Skills
Easy and Effective Ways to Encourage Reading. Image Courtesy of parents.com
Build Reading Skills. Studies have shown that the most enthusiastic and voracious readers received early introduction to reading at home. Encourage your child to make reading a part of every day life by adding a few simple steps to your daily routine. If you are modeling reading at home, it’s likely your child will follow your footsteps and learn to love to read. Of course, they don’t need to read the Wall Street Journal, but by offering a wide variety of reading material around the house, your child will be encouraged to pick up a book and start making reading a habit.
Did you know that by the end of First Grade, most children are able to read? That means that there are several opportunities at home to help your child get the most out of reading, including increasing his enjoyment!
What Do You Need to Build a Better Reader?
- A wide range of books – appropriate for several grade levels. Picture books, comic books, chapter books are all excellent choices.
- Children need to see their parents reading. Instead of grabbing the paper or Sports Illustrated when your children go to bed, why not sit and read for a bit before dinner? It will make a big impression on your little readers.
- Read aloud to each other. When you are tucking your child into bed at night, take turns reading the pages.
- Games that encourage reading. Some examples include Scrabble Jr., Boggle, Think-It Link-It for readers to practice their reading and spelling skills. Younger children’s games such as Clue Jr. and Guess Who help children practice problem-solving skills and will help them in reading comprehension.
- Regular trips to the library. Your child can choose from a wide variety of books that interest him and the best part is that he can keep them for a few weeks, and return them for another batch.
- Turn off the electronics. Think about limiting television, computer times during the day and instead, encourage a period of reading.
Solid reading habits help increase mental stimulation, increase vocabulary skills and helps improve comprehension and writing abilities. There are many reasons to help your child build reading skills! His future depends on it!
