Introducing Children to the World of Books and the Skill of Reading

In this era having good parenting skill is an asset and vital too. A child’s education does not begin when they go to school, infact it starts right from their homes. It begins at home where apart from parents they also play the role of child friends and teachers. Studies have proved that most basic learning takes place before a child enters into a school. Research shows that no formal teaching can be compared to the parents teaching, through word, example and pictures. The informal education that the parents impart to their children bears a greater impact than a formal education system. As a child's first teachers, you as parents are in a matchless position to inculcate early learning in a several ways. The basic skill of education is learned at a very young age. When the children reach the age of three or four they become capable of understanding and using the language spoken around them without training. They just observe their elders and grasp things. Researchers also say that the child’s formative years are a crucial time when the intelligence is developed. Reading picture books with your children is the most advantageous way to teach your children language skills and ensure that they will become good readers. Below are certain ideas which can help you in developing literacy skills in your child: • Familiarize your children with books when they an toddlers. Read and interact with them, even if you're doing all the talking. Ask them elementary questions, such as "What's that?" however you'll have to respond yourself ("That's right, it's a cat!"), in doing this you're still engaging them in the activity. • Fix a daily reading or story time. Make it the same time every day so your child will know when the appropriate timing is and they will ask for it on their own. Many parents have a story time just before bedtime because it tends to calm them. • Make reading as pleasurable as possible. Let them select the book and point to pictures and talk about them. Allow them to turn the pages or hold the book while you read. Don't get worried if you can’t finish the book at a stretch because children need more time as compared to adults to understand things. • Take your children to a public library or a bookstore with a large children's section. Help them get them own library card and help them choose books that you can both read together. • Make up activities which should be similar with your child's favorite storybooks. For instance, when you read If You Give a dog a slice of bread, same time you make available bread make. When you read Ruth Krauss' The Carrot Seed, buy seeds and help them plant their first garden. • Make a simple book for your child on your own. Use an old folder for the cover or bind pages with string or staples. Write anecdotes and include pictures of them. Books will become like a treasure for them and they will learn to value relationships and learning.