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| Aleeyah reading at Sovanna mall book sale |
“There are many little
ways to enlarge your child’s world. Love of books is the best of all,” says the
former US first lady Jacqueline Kennedy. Reading book is essential to the literacy
development of a child. Reading is an important habit a child needs to develop early
in order to succeed later in life, be it in school or in the work place. Reading
demands two ways; parents or adult reading to a child and child reading books
himself.
Following are a few tips how you
can help your child develop the love reading:
1 1.
Start Early. There is no such thing as reading to a child
“too early”. Studies have shown that it is good for the mom to start reading to
her baby while the baby is still in her womb, and then continue throughout the
stage of infancy. Reading enhances a greater bonding for the mom and the baby;
also with the dad. It will help the baby learn to recognize and respond to
sounds that she hears repeatedly.
2 2. Read to Your
Child at Bedtime. Read to your
children, especially at bedtime. Bedtime stories are special moments to share
love to your children. Reading develops their comprehension and logic/reasoning
skills. More importantly, reading stories help them learn moral lessons, and also
sets their mood to sleep early each night.
3 3. As soon as the
Child knows how to Read, Provide Varieties of Books. Provide the child books of different sizes,
colors and genres, depending on their age. Start with stories. Story books are
always captivating to a child. Poetry, Rhymes and Educational books can be
added to the type of books your child needs to read.
4. Read for Fun. Make every reading time a fun time, and not
a stressful one. Allow your children to use their imaginations while reading. Let
their minds explore the world of imagination as they interact with the authors
or the stories in the books.
5 5.
Visit Your
Local Bookstore and Buy Books Regularly. There are several bookstores in Phnom Penh
that sells cheap and expensive new books, but there are also numbers of secondhand
bookshops that sell books for fifty cents to a dollar per book only.
6 6. Give Books
as Presents or Incentives. Although books may not be as exciting as new
toys, books are good treasures and investment you can give to your children as
present or incentive. For children who love reading, receiving books always
excites them seeing that they have books added in their library collection. A
famous American educator once said, “Wear your old coat and buy a new book.”
7 7.
Visit Your
School Library. You can arrange with your child’s teacher to visit the school library and read to your child.
8 8. Support the Reading
Program of your Child’s School. When your
children bring home some books for reading, encourage them to complete the
reading assignment.
9 9. Read Books Yourself. It is helpful when your child sees you
reading. Whatever you do, most likely, your child will copy it; and reading is
a good one for your child to copy from you.
1 10.
Go the Extreme. Design your child’s bedroom like a little
library. Buy some bookshelves and train your kids to arrange their books
orderly. When you do, make sure the room is properly ventilated with enough lighting.
Enjoy Reading!
