Help Your Children to Love Reading
It is so important to create an environment that promotes the love of reading. Not only is reading necessary for survival in today's world, it is educational, it sparks imagination, it is a stress reliever, provides entertainment and enjoyment, the list goes on. Here are some ideas to help you help your child love reading. - The most important thing a parent can do to teach a child to love reading is for the parent to let the children see how much you love reading. You need to set the example.
- Set aside a time each day when everyone in the family reads. Perhaps it is for half an hour after school or before bed every day. Be consistent.
- Read to your children. Even after they are old enough to read themselves, it is still a treat to have a parent read to them.
- Never punish your child by taking away books.
- Share books you loved growing up.
- Create a tradition of reading one chapter from a book each night before bed. I remember a teacher in the fifth grade would read a chapter each day from "Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh" by Zena Bernstein (Illustrator) and Robert C. O'Brien (Author). I looked forward to class every day so I could find out what happened next!
- Start a family book club. Everyone reads the same book and pick a night to discuss it. I suggest checking out copies from the library, I wouldn't want to buy several copies of the same book. Or you can take turns reading from the same book.
- Every child should have a reading nook in his or her bedroom. A simple beanbag chair or other cozy chair, a small table with a reading lamp and a small bookcase are all that is needed. If space is especially limited, just a comfy chair and reading lamp will suffice.
- Creating a calming, relaxing space in your child's room is also important. There should be no television or video games in the bedroom. The room should also be neat and not have a lot of stuff. Studies show simplicity and neatness are calming where a lot of stuff or messiness can clutter the mind.
- If your children are small, perhaps the reading nook should be either in a common room or the parent and child should each have a chair in the child's room.
- Let your child choose his or her own books. Don't limit the reading material (within reason) they choose. If s/he wants to read educational books, comic books or music magazines, let him/her. The goal is to let your child love reading.
- If all your child wants to read is magazines or other reading material you consider not great, then perhaps you can find something your child is very interested in and find books on that subject. If your son is only interested in reading music magazines, perhaps you can buy books such as a biography on one of his favorite musicians, books on musical history, books that teach how to play music, etc.
I hope you find some useful ideas. Remember, the family that reads together, stays together. Have fun! About The Author Tracy Catarius is the owner of Greatest Kid's books, a site devoted to children's education and Mattcmama's, a resource site for parents. You can visit these sites here: http://www.greatestkidsbooks.com and http://www.mattcmamas.com. She lives in Massachusetts with her husband and is the mother of one son and one daughter. She also has a personal family library of approximately 1,000 books on various subjects. tracy@myubah.com
Related News
Give mom some parenting books - BlueRidgeNow.com
New car technology to aid parenting skills - Great Dad
Q&A: 49ers cornerback Nate Clements - San Francisco Chronicle
A Parenting Odyssey: Shouldering Grief, Welcoming Joy - RedOrbit
Parenting books you can't live without - San Francisco Chronicle
Your parenting happy place - San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco Chronicle |
Your parenting happy placeSan Francisco Chronicle, USA -Oct 9, 2008When the bad times come, one thing I do to keep from getting out-of-control upset is remember one of my parenting happy places. I have maybe five or six of ... |
DHS to drop ban on foster parenting by unwed couples - Arkansas News
Who claims the family policy agenda? - San Francisco Chronicle
Who claims the family policy agenda?San Francisco Chronicle, USA -21 hours agoHigh rates of poverty, divorce, single parenthood and social isolation exaggerate the typical strains of parenting. As a result, the United States has one ... |
The Parenting Vote - New York Times
New York Times |
The Parenting VoteNew York Times, United States -6 hours agoBy Lisa Belkin Ask people with children what most shapes their worldview, and being a parent would likely be high on the list. ... |
Parenting video series begins this Sunday - Charles City Press
Parenting video series begins this SundayCharles City Press, United States -7 hours agoA great parenting resource is being offered to interested families in Charles City. The first five segments of the video series, “Shepherding a Child’s ... |
|
|
 |
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
EEG Biofeedback as a Treatment for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
In this form of treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder the subject learns to pay attention to his own brain wave activity, and then apparently learns to change and control his brain wave activity. The subject is given immediate feedback on just what his brain's activity is like at any given moment through the use of high-speed computers which provide both auditory and visual feedback.
STOP Parental Alienation Syndrome before It Gets a Chance to START
Parental Alienation Syndrome was probably first identified and codified by Dr. Richard Gardner in his book of the same name. He first laid out his thesis in 1985 in an article, "Recent Trends in Divorce and Custody Litigation." He expanded this into the book "Parental Alienation Syndrome," and since then, PAS has been written about, studdied, debated, denied, and - of course - has had dozens of websites and forums dedicated to it.
What is Incest?
Incest is sexual activity, ranging from fondling to intercourse, between family members who aren't married to one another. State laws vary regarding the type of sexual activity and also on what constitutes the type of kinship that indicates incest rather than just sexual abuse.
The Thing with Quality Time
It's funny how people seem to think that they have spent quality time with their kids after work by bringing them out to the mall for a lifeless and meaningless stroll only to come home with nothing more than a whole bunch of stuff that they (or the kids) don't need. In fact, time has been wasted because kids don't NEED you to bring them out to the shopping mall to waste time. They want and NEED to be with you.
Guide to Choosing a Computer System for Your Child
Before going further into choosing computers for children, I believe that you would like to know the answer to the following question:
Muscle Pain And Children Do Not Mix
I am in pain. I've been in pain all day. Last night, I was in "searing pain", which is pain multiplied by pain, divided by relief, then multiplied by pain to the tenth power. In case you are not a math whiz, that equals pain with 33 zeros after it. Two days ago, I was in pain (just regular pain, no zeros). In fact, I was in pain all week.
School Holiday Survival Guide
The school holidays are a great time for the kids, all those weeks of fun and games, no school, getting up late??but not for their parents! Summer vacation time can be just as much like hard work as the rest of the year. Trying to keep the kids entertained for six whole weeks can seem like a daunting task, so here are ten top tips to help you survive the summer holidays.
Promote Physical Fitness for Your Child
If your child is to derive the benefits of physical fitness, then physical activity must be habitual and lifelong. Moving should be as routine as brushing teeth and bathing. But this is only likely to happen if:
1. Physical activity is a habit of yours ? and of your family's.
2. It's associated with pleasure rather than pain!
How to Help Your Child be Successful in Kindergarten
Your child's first year of school should be a fun and exciting
time. Children who are comfortable with and prepared for this
first school experience are more likely to have rewarding and
productive years, and therefore associate positive feelings with
education. Since parents are children's first and most
important teachers, you can play a key role in preparing your
children for a successful school experience by pre-exposing them
to key concepts they will experience in school. This can be
done in a fun, enjoyable manner by making everyday play
experiences learning experiences as well.
Camps for Troubled Teens: Disciplines and Wilderness
Parents looking for a quick fix usually choose troubled teen camps. There are two types of teen camps: boot camps and summer or wilderness camps. They usually last from one to six weeks, and while teens may shows signs of improvement for days or even weeks after coming home, they often revert back to old behaviors after the fear of authority disappears.
ADHD Treatment: Strategy and Philosophy
If your child or teen has been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder during the summer, or winter months, and if your child or teen is not a danger to himself or to someone else, we recommend that you try diet and nutritional interventions first and see if they work. Try our Eating Program/Diet and order the VAXA products "Attend" and "Extress". Use them for at least 60 days along with the Eating Program/Diet. It will take 30 to 45 days to really know whether or not this will be sufficient as an intervention. Give it time.
How To Entertain A Child While Working From A Home Office
There is no doubt that the benefits of being a work-at-home parent outweigh the drawbacks. However, some days can prove to be difficult when your two year-old is determined to climb on top of your filing cabinet while you're trying to participate in an important conference call.
Here are ten tips that can help make your life easier, and your little ones happier, while you work at home.
Stop, Look, Listen! Steps to Better Parenting Communication
As a parent is seems that the majority of your day is spent trying to get your children to listen to what you are trying to teach them. Make them understand how to me a responsible child. Convince them to make the right choices. Kids call these lectures. Some parents call them friendly reminders or teaching opportunities.
Monitoring Your Teens for Drug Use Without Appearing to be Spying
Even if your teenagers do not use drugs, you still need to keep an eye on them. It is much better to realize that things could change, and anticipate that your teen COULD become a user. Essentially, it is not wise to make assumptions about topics such as drug use. Also, having been a high school teacher afforded me the opportunity to witness peer pressure, and how even good kids could be convinced to try drugs - just to fit in. It is important that you play a proactive role in ensuring that your teenagers and the rest of your family remains drug free.
Are You Frustrated With Public Schools?
Join a growing number of parents and teachers!
Choosing Wooden Toys For Children
Wooden toys are one of the best alternatives for the huge number of toys made of plastic and other synthetic materials that you can find in all toy stores.
Making Internet Chat Safe For Your Children
No matter what you say or do, your kids will chat and use IM (instant messengers) over the internet. That's a given. But since you have the obligation to protect your children, be aware that there are parent-friendly software tools that can assist you.
Introduction to the Medications Used in the Treatment of Attention Deficit Disorder
There are several treatment options available to help improve the symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Since there is no prescription medicine that can "cure" for ADHD, the various medical interventions seek to improve symptoms. The most commonly used medicines are stimulants, such as Ritalin, Dexedrine, Cylert, and ADDerall. Stimulants have been around for about 50 years. Overall, they work very well. Ritalin and Dexedrine are moderately beneficial, or very beneficial, for about 70% to 75% of those who try them.
Helping Your Child to Deal with Change
Fall marks the beginning of many new things both for our children and for us. Starting something new always means change and all of us respond to change differently. Many of us welcome it but many of us are filled with apprehension and fear. Many of your children will be starting elementary school for the very first time. Others will be starting preschool for the first time and others will be carrying on in elementary school but in a new grade with different expectations and more than likely a new teacher.
Top 20 Items To Pack In A Diaper Bag
1. Diapers (5 -7 is a fairly safe supply)
|
