Reading: Help with Reading

Help make reading fun for your child

Reading is a foundational skill in academic learning and personal growth. A child who learns to read well at a young age will find great success in school and will grow to become a literate adult. With all this in mind, it is important that you help foster your child's interest in reading by making it fun and interesting.

A great way to learn the joys of reading is by reading with others. Find out what your child might be interested in and check out two copies of that book from the library, so you can read together. Ask him who his favorite character is, what his favorite part is and what he thinks is going to happen.

Many libraries have programs such as summer and year-round book clubs. Encourage your child to join a book club. In such an environment, your child will be exposed to great literature and establish friendships with other children. Making friendships in such environments will help further develop his love for reading and discussing reading.

You can also connect reading with fun activities. Go for walks in parks or take your child to a beach, lake or river and read about that environment. When he encounters a word he doesn't know, you can show him what it is. This will open up conversation about what he is reading.

Oftentimes, when children resist reading, it is because it seems like a solitary activity. But you can show your child that reading can be fun and interactive. It is also fun to meet people who have read the same books as you, and it will be fun for your child as well.

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