Tips to Improve Your Childs Reading

Anita Silvey writes in 100 Best Books for Children, "Nothing in a child's intellectual development offers more pleasure or excitement when compared to a good book. Nothing lasts longer in memory than childhood reading experiences. And nothing ensures the success of a child more in society than being read to from infancy through adulthood."

While Silvey's statements may be true, think about children who have problems with and/or who can't stand to learn? Reading expert John Jay Pikulski said, "An extraordinary and growing body of authoritative opinion and research evidence shows that reading failure is preventable for all but an extremely small percentage of children." This is good news for parents who are frustrated by their children's inattention too books. Attitudes and reading problems usually can be corrected.

But how can parents encourage their children to read, also to grow to love doing this? And how do parents help their children who may struggle through a good single word?

Kathryn Perkinson, in an article for the U.S. Department of Education, writes that to obtain kids to love reading, you must read aloud in their mind and cause them to become read to you. Reading aloud to children familiarizes them with language sufficient reason for specific stories. Reading familiar stories, ones children love, will encourage them to try and read those stories for themselves, based on the Reading Recovery Council of THE UNITED STATES.

Reading specialists concur that you will need to speak to your child about reading, maybe talking about a book you loved as a kid or discussing the stories of famous authors or characters, such as Dr. Seuss, Lemony Snickett or Harry Potter. (In the case of Harry Potter-or any book converted to a movie-you will make a casino game out of asking your child to pay attention to what things differ between your book and the movie and have her to talk about it with you once the movie ends. This will also help develop her critical thinking skills.) And don't forget to occasionally ask your child what they is reading in school, and when he understands it or really wants to discuss the story or novel.

Another idea to instill a love of books and reading would be to peruse the library or a bookstore with your child, letting him choose books that look interesting. If your son or daughter gets to pick the subject of the reading material, he could be more likely to read. Perkinson writes of the significance of starting a home library. Children who are used to books being truly a section of their homes and their lives tend to be more apt to read, and to be better readers, than their counterparts from whom books are rare.

Another tip to boost reading are available on THE HOUSEHOLD Education Network's website ([1]) to "encourage a variety of reading activities." These activities is often as simple as asking your kids to learn street signs and billboards, comic books or newspaper comic strips, or even to play spelling games with you. The Family Education Network suggests your son or daughter will read better and more often if books along with other things to be read (magazines, comics) are kept handy, especially in the automobile along with other places (while waiting for appointments, in line at the supermarket, etc.) where your child may have idle time.

Though Richard Feldman, Ph.D., of Columbia University, agrees everyone should read-and he could be a speed reading expert-he emphasizes that people should read in a proper environment. "Angling your reading material at 45 degrees improves your reading speed and reduces eye strain." Feldman also says it is vital not to read during intercourse, especially for a child who is working on his reading skills. Reading in bed makes one more relaxed rather than as alert, which may make it more difficult for beginning or troubled readers to actually read.

Other exercises to do with your kids if they're having issues reading include teaching your child to listen to the sounds in words, teaching your son or daughter to perceive and identify the letters of the alphabet, and teaching your child to recognize (or even memorize) whole words, especially ones that occur often in language. These ideas from the Reading Recovery Council of North America, coupled with the tips mentioned previously, will help strengthen your child's reading skills.

But the most important things to remember in helping your son or daughter become a better reader is to seek professional help for reading issues before waiting to see should they become reading problems. As Pikulski says, most reading obstacles could be overcome and future problems prevented with the proper tools and a little work-one both your part as well as your child's.

Recommended Reading for More In-depth Tips (in alphabetical order):

? Improving Reading: Strategies and Resources by Jerry Johns and Susan Lanski (Kendall Hunt Publishing Co.)

? Reading Reflex: The Foolproof Phono-Graphic Method for Teaching Your Child to Read by Carmen McGuinness and Geoffrey McGuinness (Free Press)

? Reading Rescue 1-2-3: Raise Your Child's Reading Level 2 Grades with this particular Easy 3-Step Program by Peggy M. Wilber (Three Rivers Press)

? See Johnny Read!: 5 Most Effective Methods to End Your Son's Reading Problems by Tracey Wood (McGraw-Hill)

Writer, Editor and Professor Jill L. Ferguson writes on family issues for magazines nationwide. She is the author of the young adult novel Sometimes Art Can't SAVE, in addition to co-author of Raise Rules for Women: Making More Money at the job and Women Are Changing the Corporate Landscape: Rules for Cultivating Leadership Excellence.