How to get your child interested in reading

By SIMONE MORGAN All Woman writer morgans@jamaicaobserver.com

Monday, January 30, 2012

GETTING your child interested in reading is not the easiest of tasks and it takes a lot of commitment. It doesn't have to be expensive though, it will only take a certain amount of careful thought and planning ahead.

Below are tips sanctioned by Educator Zoe Feraria, who holds a degree in literacy studies, on how to get your child to read a book.

* Choose topics that may interest your child.

When buying books for your child, choose topics that your child is very interested in. That is, if he/she likes a particular animal or insect or even Barbie, source all the books on those topics, no matter your personal reservations.

* Set aside time for reading.

Find a quiet place where you can focus on reading the book to your child. Pretty soon, your little munchkin will make the connection between the pleasure of undivided attention and the pleasure of reading. As you read, vary the tone of your voice. Use dramatic voices to differentiate between characters and to highlight important parts of the story.

* Encourage reading from an early age

Whether it is the Three Little Pigs, Goldilocks, or Peter Pan, young children often ask for the same story again and again. Re-read your child's favourite stories. To make it even more fun, ask your child to read the lines of his/her favourite character. This will help to enhance his/her reading skills, but remember to stop reading when your child loses interest.

* Bring books to life.

Let your kids and their playmates use their energy to bring the stories to life. Join in the fun and help to create puppets or dolls of the characters they read about in books. Build costumes so they can dress themselves up like their favourite characters. After that, have them act the story out the way they remember it. This can only result in a fun activity that will enhance your little ones' paraphrasing skills.

* Use technology.

In this generation, kids live and breathe technology, therefore, they will readily be open to reading if they can do it via the Internet and other devices such as e-book readers. While most parents would prefer their child/children reading from actual books, one has to come to terms with the realities of the kids' generation.

* Offer an incentive.

Offer them a reward for the time they spend reading. For instance, if your child reads for 30 minutes, allow him/her to stay up an extra half hour past bedtime. There are several other incentives that you can offer your child in order to encourage reading. Be sure to explain your reason for giving the incentive.

* Read on the go.

Play a word game in the car. Each person takes a turn reading as many words as he/she can from street signs, billboards, store names, supermarket and store racks etc. Each player reads the words aloud and as quickly as possible. The first person to begin reading will be the winner. It's a fun exercise and even though it's not a book, it will get your kids reading while having fun.

* Research topics with your child.

Children are generally inquisitive and seem to have more questions to ask than statements to make within a day. Instead of becoming annoyed, engage the child in a research. Whether it is by way of the Internet, a book or the newspaper, it doesn't matter. This will help your child learn from very early that the answer to every question can be found in writing. They will also learn that there are several sources of information. In time, your little Mr/Miss Inquisitive will become a source of knowledge themselves.

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How to get your child interested in reading