The Greatest Gift of Reading to Your Child
“Reading is fundamental. In fact, it is one of the most important ingredients to becoming all you can be.” Michael Stutman
“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more you learn, the more places you’ll go.” Dr Seuss from the book “I Can Read with my Eyes Shut!”
Reading helps develop a child’s brain. Children that are exposed to listening to stories their parents read from an early age tend to do much better at school. From an early age they are being exposed to vocabulary and language development. They start using their minds to imagine and create which are some of the building blocks towards problem solving and critical thinking later.
“Children are made readers on the laps of their parents.” Emilie Buchwald
Did you know that although reading is so important, 800 million people around the world are illiterate? Many families have no books for children to read. Sadly, in this digital age, it is not just impoverished families that do not have books and don’t read to their children. So how can we develop a love of books and reading in our young children from early on?
Here are some ideas:
- Take your child to the library and sign them up for a library card
- Make bedtime stories a non-negotiable daily ritual
- Ask family and friends to give books as gifts for birthdays and special occasions
- Get books for cheaper from 2nd hand shops or garage sales
- Swop well-loved books your child has outgrown for “new” books from a friend
- Point out words and pictures on sign boards when driving and ask your child what it could mean
- Look for letters and words when out driving on car number plates and signs
- Model reading to your child by being a reader yourself
- Allow siblings to read to each other
- Look at the pictures in a book and allow your child to make up their own story
- Ask questions about the story whilst reading
- Draw a picture of what could happen next or even before they story takes place
- Let your child make their own story book by becoming the illustrator. A parent or sibling can write in the text.
What other ideas can you think of to instil a love of reading in your child? Please share these great ideas with your friends and family. Let us become a community of readers who are raising leaders to inspire a legacy of literacy and have fun in the process.
Bronwen Nuthall
Reception Year Teacher
WATCH: Nikraad reading A story in Reception
