Reading is a quality that many may not have in them. Some people can spend hours with books while some can’t even stand the very sight of a book; the only books they may have read so far might be their textbooks.
Many feel that it’s a matter of choice and interest. Well, that is for sure but this quality can even be developed. Reading is a great way of expanding ones knowledge and exploring the world around. It even builds imagination skills, enhances vocabulary and offers an open-minded approach towards life.
Considering the fact reading is very vital for growing kids as it helps them in building their language skills, most parents make the best possible efforts of encouraging this habit in the little ones. However, all these efforts go futile when you end up discouraging your child from reading.
You may not even realize but some of your actions actually end up diverting your child’s attention from reading. And if your child fails to develop interest in books at a young age, it would be very difficult to develop the interest at a later stage.
As your child enters primary class, say once he is 5-year-old, he starts understanding a bit more about books, words and language. You must continue with your efforts of encouraging reading habits in him. And while doing so, just make sure you stay away from making the following mistakes which can turn away your child from reading.
1. Choosing the wrong books
Your child has just begun exploring the world of language and you must provide them with books that can reflect his thoughts and ideas. Making him read picture books when he can understand short story books fairly is only going to make him lose interest in reading. Buy books which your child would be interested in. It would be good if you can invest in different genres just to know what holds your child’s interest the most.
2. Not reading it along
If you won’t take any interest in reading with your child, he may never develop the habit. It will always be a compulsion for him. When you read along with him, you get to correct his mistakes and make him understand things in a clear way which builds curiosity and interest in the child.
3. Limiting access to books
A child will never really build interest in reading books if he has a limited access to the same. If it’s just at school library that the child gets to see books, he will surely not build up a reading habit. To make him love this habit naturally, you will have to widen his access. Take him to different book libraries, book shops, or book fairs where he can get to see a wide range of books and see how wide the world of books is.
4. Over-reading
So you have a planned reading schedule and it seems as if your child is spending maximum time in reading only. Well, too much of reading can also be bad as it will make the child hate the routine and he may find it monotonous too. He should do it willingly and even if you have a schedule for the same, make sure you don’t overdo it.
5. Correcting too much
Let the child enjoy his reading sessions with ease and comfort. He will make mistakes for sure and you would always take delight in helping him by correcting his mistakes. But if you correct him too often while he reads, he may quickly lose interest in the same and look for excuses to skip reading. This is because the child’s self-esteem will get affected and too much of correcting might make him doubt his reading capabilities. So let him make the minor mistakes.
6. Not allowing them to choose books
When you allow kids to select their books, they feel more involved and interested. Also, this will help you know what type of books your child likes. Whenever you go to a book shop, allow your child to make his choices. But yeah, do guide them through the books they choose.
7. Too much of easy reading
If the books are too easy for your child, he may not want to read them. This is because they won’t find it challenging and their interest will die away soon. Pick certain books which aren’t very easy; you can search for books that have a good vocabulary list and at the same time are engaging enough.
8. Not setting the right example
Last but definitely not the least, if you want your child to love reading; make sure you also show some love to it. Even if you aren’t an avid reader, see to it that you read something for at least an hour. When your kids see you respecting books and investing time in reading, they are likely to follow suit.
Give your child the needed support and encouragement when it comes to reading; just make sure you don’t make these reading mistakes! Happy Reading!