How to Encourage Children to Read and Write

A teacher is not only a facilitator of learning but should also be an encouraging mentor. This is most especially when children are just starting to read and write. In this crucial stage, the teacher should know how to enhance the learning experiences of his mentees.

Here are some methods that could encourage reading and writing skills:

1. Preliminary discussions should be sufficient before any exercise is given. This would prevent unnecessary questions making the goal of the exercise clear. When goals are set, students usually know exactly what to do.

2. The teacher should be a keen observer and should be able to read the verbal and non verbal clues from the children's behavior. A frown from a child would mean that he is having difficulty with his reading or writing. Do not wait for him to call your attention; there are extremely shy kids who do not ask questions even if they don't understand; so take the initiative and ask conversationally like it is natural for them to clarify topics.

This would encourage them to ask questions and interact with you about their difficulties. Let them understand that they are entitled to commit mistakes as this is a necessary part of learning. This would put them at ease. A comfortable and happy atmosphere is conducive to learning.

3. Conduct book reading in class, with everyone participating. Rhyming poems could be a good reading material. Let each one of them read a sentence or a paragraph and commending them when they are able to read. For poor readers, an encouraging word would motivate them to improve.

4. Assign a book for home-reading. There should be no pressure on this. A page or two could be read each day and then discussed the following class meeting. Select an interesting children's book which has lots of attractive pictures. This would arouse enough curiosity for them to read it.

5. Require them to have a journal where they could write an entry of their daily activities. Go over their entries and proofread them. Give a constructive criticism of their written material.

Always give recognition where it is due. This would encourage everyone to do his best.

6. Role playing could encourage them to read, especially if they have an active role in it. Let them enact a poem or story.

7. Memory game on reading and writing could be played. The students are grouped in pairs and one reads the first sentence of a book and the next student would write it down on the board. The pair that earns the most correctly written sentences would win the game.

8. Allow them to participate in local reading and writing contests in your city/town. If they are contestants, they would have to practice reading and writing. Every student wants to win.

9. "Add a word" could be a good, encouraging activity for them. They form a line and then each child would write a word on the board until a coherent sentence is formed. You could also cut out some words from one sentence and then distribute them to small groups. The group will them put the words together. Whoever is the quickest group is the winner.

10. Let them compose their own poems. Ask for volunteers who would like to read their poem to the class. Be supportive and tactful in your critiquing. Do not force anyone to read his poem or this would be a traumatic experience for him. Gently pull them out of their shells. Perseverance always pays.

Whatever method you adapt, you should not forget that every experience leads to learning, so be ingenious and discover from each child under your care, the "roaring tiger" and the budding "Shakespeare".