Cultivating a Love of Reading in Young Children

Preschoolers have a natural attraction to bright, colorful books. Parents can encourage their interest by providing them with a variety of age-appropriate books form birth. These can include the following:

• Soft fabric books

• Plastic bath books

• Board books

• Books that whistle and squeak or play music

• Pop-up books

• Books with windows and doors that open and shut

• Picture books

As a child grows older they develop preferences and may ask for the same story book every night. This is normal but introduce other books while not neglecting to read and reread the favored one.

Teaching Children to Create Books

In this day and age, it is relatively simple to help a child create his own book. There are a number of ways of doing this, depending on age and ability:

• Supply squares of colored construction paper allow the child to cut out pictures and stick them on to form a story. Pet magazines are a good source of animal pictures, and junk mail and store catalogs can provide endless inspiration

• Give the child some sheets of firm white paper and ask them to draw a series of pictures that tell a story. They may enjoy adding scrapbook embellishments such as stickers and dried flowers. Don't allow them to use anything that could be a choking hazard

• If the child is old enough, allow them to write the story on each page. Otherwise they can dictate the words to for an adult to write down

• Add a title page and the child's name as the author. Show them the inside of a book with the publisher's details and copyright and help them add similar information to their book

• Add a blurb to the back cover describing what the book is about and who authored it

• Bind the book by running strips of glue down the edge of the pages and stapling on a cover. If desired, the pages can be laminated first for protection. Lamination will not work properly if there are stickers or embellishments on a page

• Another method of producing a book is to scan the pages at a high resolution and print them on good quality paper

Young children have a natural interest in books and this can be cultivated by reading to them and helping them create their own publication. This can stand them in good stead for the years ahead when books are a vital part of education.

Reference:

365 Fun-filled Learning Activities you can do with your Child, Mary Weaver, Adams Media Corporation, 1999