Helping Your Child Enjoy Reading

How do you encourage your child to enjoy reading? I firmly believe you need to introduce them to reading from birth, actually pre-birth. It helps if you have an interest in reading too.

When you first begin reading aloud to your baby, its not the story or the words you are using, it's the tone of voice. The quiet monotony as you drone on and on, trying to lull your infant to sleep. A soft-lit room and the soothing noise creates a quiet place of comfort for the infant to rest in. This also soothes you if you've had a rough day whether in the home or at the workplace. Its meant to be a relaxing time for both of you. If you've patterned your baby's nap or night time routine to include reading, you are promoting a more peaceful environment for your child. It becomes a "My" time for both of you, a special time to bond.

As toddlers, children enjoy hearing the same stories over and over again. They memorize the words and rhymes. They'll associate the words with the pictures in their favorite books and will soon be telling you the story. They begin to recognize the letters and words that are written and become interested in learning more words and sounds.... reading.

First books are made simple and repetitive. Some gain a child's interest with rhyming. Dr Seuss's books are a good example of repetitive rhyming and easy retention. My youngest child's favorite Dr. Seuss book was "The Foot Book". His nephews and nieces enjoy it very much too. More rhymes are found in "Mother Goose". There are numerous simple rhymes found in that collection of poems for toddlers to enjoy.

Children learn to immerse themselves in a story, picturing themselves as the beautiful princess or a baseball star. Encourage their imagination by having them dress up as their favorite character in the story. Soon they will be making up their own stories with themselves as the main character, creating situations they may have to face in real life, but in an environment they can control. Its another form of make believe play or "what if" situations. For some it may be an escape from an unpleasant situation.

Reading is a building block for learning and creative growth. If a child can read they can open doors for themselves that otherwise might not be offered to them. Reading is the key to many other subjects, making it easier to grasp opportunities for education. It liberates the mind, enriches your life and feeds the soul. The love of reading is a great gift you can help give your children, one they can use to build on for the rest of their lives. Who knows, your child may become the next Charles Dickens, Earnest Hemingway or J K Rowling. Wouldn't that be a wonderful life!