An intense love of reading is what I have. I will read anything, read anywhere, and read anytime. I always carry reading material with me, but it was not always that way.
Without my father's early concern, intervention, and involvement, I would have continued to struggle with reading throughout my school years and I probably would not have been able to go to college and then to graduate school.
But this is not about me.
In an effort to support the development of your child's love of reading, a love they carry with them for life, there are a few things that you can try at home.
- Have your child preview a book before reading it. Have a discussion about the illustrations, giving them a clue as to what the story is about beforehand. In class, I may ask the children to take a illustration journey before we read new literature. This assists not only with reading comprehension but it also gives them more comfort.
- Have your child read aloud to younger siblings or even a favourite stuffed friend. This environment makes for more casual reading, free from judgment. Plus, it promotes independence!
- Share the job of reading aloud. If your child becomes overwhelmed by reading an entire book alone become their reading partner. A partner reads aloud that the same time. This method helps to avoid pauses and after reading a difficult sentence, you can then revisit the words that were troublesome. Be certain to have your child track their reading with their finger.
- Take turns reading aloud. You can alternate pages.
- Read things other than books. Other reading experiences are valuable also. Read the ingredients for a recipe, a comic book, or even environmental print, such as road signs, store signs, and billboards.
- Allow your child's interests to dictate what you read together. Go on a special trip to the bookstore or the library and browse through books on baseball, ballet, bicycle racing, or butterfly collecting. You can even do your browsing online at Barnes & Noble or Amazon.
