As we embark upon a new year it is important to take stock of things we value and make decisions to change the things that take away value. The New Year is a great time to begin again and as parents we have to evaluate the things we put before our children. I want to encourage anyone who has children in their lives to consider the importance of reading. It is such a valuable tool that will impact how they will live the rest of their lives.
Reading promotes several important qualities that will influence growth in all areas of life. Consider the following ideas and you decide why you and your family should make reading a part of your daily routines. Reading offers free entertainment without using video games, reading promotes the use of imagination and stimulates the mind to see beyond where we are, it opens us up to new ideas and adds knowledge to our mind. Reading helps us solve problems by reading history or about how someone else was able to overcome an obstacle. Not to mention the expansion of vocabulary that will aid in conversing in intelligent conversation. It helps concentration, think about it, if a child is focused on reading they are concentrating on the text and they are able to then recall information, details and their overall thinking skills improve. . This in turn helps them with testing, recall, and academics as a whole. I can go on and on naming the bountiful advantages of reading.
What if your child does not enjoy reading or dreads it. Often times children find reading to only be apart of school and when at home it is not required. To this I say find a topic that your child enjoys and then give them an incentive to read. Maybe you can read the book with them and make it family time. As a teacher one of the strategies that I find useful everyday in my classroom is my energy. If I am excited about a topic then my students are excited about learning it. So as parents showing enthusiasm for reading is pivotal to your child’s success. A great author that I love and enjoy reading even as an adult is Jacqueline Woodson. She tells stories that immediately hooks the reader and compels them to read to the end. Between Madison and Palmetto is an excellent choice for children ages 10 -14. It offers the tale of two girls and how they both deal with being girls and all the changes it entails. Read this book with your child and have conversations about its content. This book will offer an excellent opportunity to begin the year reading.
About the Author:
Felecia Tucker M.Ed
Image taken from the following sites:https://books.google.com
This was a great article read! Reading should not only take place in school but at home as well. Education never stops
Thank You Shanikqa. You are absolutely right.