Friday, April 29, 2011

Motivating kids to read

Jumbo Editorial Team

Motivating children to read is one of those agony-ecstasy tasks every parent and teacher faces sooner or later. When the desire to read is planted, nurtured, and grows it's ecstasy but when an appreciation of reading fails to take root it's agony for the parent, teacher and child.

There are myriad reasons children don’t like to read, and the following selection of articles will explain why and what parents and teachers can do about it; provide valuable tips on what won’t work (nagging, bribing, criticizing); and offer practical advice on reading activities that will keep the entire family engaged during summer months and holiday breaks.

The most effective way to encourage your children to love books and reading is to read aloud to them and the earlier you start, the better. Even a baby of a few months can see pictures, listen to your voice, and turn cardboard pages.

Teachers can encourage children to read by incorporating technology into the reading classroom. By using technology, children who do not respond to print-based material are more likely to stay on task and are more motivated to learn. Several authors have offered advice for integrating the use of technology or other audio-visual media.

Summer leaves lots of time for kids to enjoy fun activities, such as going to the park, seeing a movie, or going to the beach. Why not also encourage them to read a book about the activity? If you're going to a baseball game, suggest that your child read a book about a favorite player beforehand. In the car or over a hot dog, you'll have lots of time to talk about the book and the game.

If your child doesn't have a library card, summer is a great time to sign up for one. In addition to a wide selection of books to borrow, many libraries have fun, child-friendly summer reading programs.

Read the newspaper at breakfast, pick up a magazine at the doctor's office, and stuff a paperback in your beach bag. If kids see the adults around them reading often, they will understand that literature can be a fun and important part of their summer days.

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