It’s heartwarming when the 6 year olds in my
Sunday school class clamor to read the scripture, it feels like they just want
to show off a newly acquired skills. I am super proud of them as I understand and can relate with their accomplishment.
Sunday school class clamor to read the scripture, it feels like they just want
to show off a newly acquired skills. I am super proud of them as I understand and can relate with their accomplishment.
Allowing them read out the scriptures for
the day is my way of encouraging the children who are yet to read fluently,
learn the beautiful art of reading and more so to see for themselves the Biblical
context of my lesson for the day.
the day is my way of encouraging the children who are yet to read fluently,
learn the beautiful art of reading and more so to see for themselves the Biblical
context of my lesson for the day.
Reading is a culture my husband and I deliberately
inculcate in our children once they attain the golden age of 5. God bless their
class teachers for laying the right foundation to build upon! At an early age,
they are taught phonetics and how to pronounce 2, 3 and 4 lettered words, after
which they proceed to reading short sentences.
inculcate in our children once they attain the golden age of 5. God bless their
class teachers for laying the right foundation to build upon! At an early age,
they are taught phonetics and how to pronounce 2, 3 and 4 lettered words, after
which they proceed to reading short sentences.
In building on this foundation, we
consistently encourage our daughters to read to us every night once they are 5
years old. At the onset, the process is usually slow, laborious, repetitive and
punctuated with lots of corrections; this stage requires a lot of patience but
it eventually pays off. My motivation and drive for encouraging them to read is
inspired by the Sunday school class I teach. We desire our daughters to become
fluent readers once they graduate into the 6 year old class at the children’s church.
consistently encourage our daughters to read to us every night once they are 5
years old. At the onset, the process is usually slow, laborious, repetitive and
punctuated with lots of corrections; this stage requires a lot of patience but
it eventually pays off. My motivation and drive for encouraging them to read is
inspired by the Sunday school class I teach. We desire our daughters to become
fluent readers once they graduate into the 6 year old class at the children’s church.
Once they become fluent in reading, they
would practice their skills on every advert on the television, every
inscription on the bill board, any word or sentence boldly displayed and
visible within sight becomes a reading target. Oh how excited I feel, every
time I listen to their dogged attempt at reading; I am ever eager to assist
where they pause or stammer as a long or difficult word is pronounced.
would practice their skills on every advert on the television, every
inscription on the bill board, any word or sentence boldly displayed and
visible within sight becomes a reading target. Oh how excited I feel, every
time I listen to their dogged attempt at reading; I am ever eager to assist
where they pause or stammer as a long or difficult word is pronounced.
Today, these girls read fluently and have
written out and pasted in their room a goal to read at least 3 books a month.
We began in January and we are gradually recording progress. I love my girls
and their desire to explore the world through books, it is more fulfilling to
see this desire come to fruition.
written out and pasted in their room a goal to read at least 3 books a month.
We began in January and we are gradually recording progress. I love my girls
and their desire to explore the world through books, it is more fulfilling to
see this desire come to fruition.
Buying books for my kids comes easy as I
love reading
and my selections spread across various exciting topic‘s for children. I have
also extended my selections to Nigerian authored books and I feel encouraged when my girls’ excitement
didn’t wane after reading them. Books like ‘Eze goes to school’, ‘the
adventures of Souza’ and the likes,
are in my opinion timeless classics that should always be in our libraries .
love reading
and my selections spread across various exciting topic‘s for children. I have
also extended my selections to Nigerian authored books and I feel encouraged when my girls’ excitement
didn’t wane after reading them. Books like ‘Eze goes to school’, ‘the
adventures of Souza’ and the likes,
are in my opinion timeless classics that should always be in our libraries .
It is common for most of these books bought
to get torn; however my punitive measure
ranges from retrieving their best books
from their room and returning same to the bookshelf for safe keeping to
outright spanking for deliberate act of tearing. At other times, we discuss the
importance of handling these books carefully so that a library could be made
out of them in the future. I have a section of children’s books in my library
and allow just a few in their room.
to get torn; however my punitive measure
ranges from retrieving their best books
from their room and returning same to the bookshelf for safe keeping to
outright spanking for deliberate act of tearing. At other times, we discuss the
importance of handling these books carefully so that a library could be made
out of them in the future. I have a section of children’s books in my library
and allow just a few in their room.
In a bid to strengthen their readingculture, I always encourage them to read till they doze off during their siestas
instead of just counting sheep
and waiting for their eyelids to bow to sleep. It has now become a delight for
them to read and the competition to finish more books is contagious, especially
when new titles are bought. Even my ears get wearied of the different
variations of the summarized book they have read as I often ask the them to
give a summary of the books read.
Below are 7 tips at developing a reading
culture in children. It is however important to note that the major work lies
in deliberately encouraging and reading with the children.
culture in children. It is however important to note that the major work lies
in deliberately encouraging and reading with the children.
- Read to your child starting at an early age, as they get older
you can read together. - Fill your child’s room with books – have a variety of
collection for your child to choose from. Reading should be a choice not a
chore. - Be a good reading “role model” for your children –
Let your child see you reading. - Establish a reading routine – this could be daily bedtime story
reading or once a week reading where the child gets to read to siblings or
family members. - Register your child in a reading club – seeing other children
read will serve as a motivation. - Encourage your child to find new books on their own to read.
… - Organize reading challenge amongst your kids and reward efforts.
Let
us follow the words of the late icon – Maya Angelou – “Any book that helps a
child to form a habit of reading, to make reading one of his deep and
continuing needs, is good for him.”
us follow the words of the late icon – Maya Angelou – “Any book that helps a
child to form a habit of reading, to make reading one of his deep and
continuing needs, is good for him.”
“A book is a gift you can open again and again.” —Garrison
Keillor
Keillor
“Make it a rule never
to give a child a book you would not read yourself.” —George Bernard Shaw
to give a child a book you would not read yourself.” —George Bernard Shaw
References – https://m.wikihow.com/Encourage-Kids-to-Read
https://www.chroniclebooks.com/blog/2014/12/12/givebooks-some-of-our-favorite-quotes-about-reading/
Images: Google
1 Comment
Amy
February 13, 2021 at 8:18 amAwesome. Quite educational. Thanks for this.