Importance of Reading
“Books were my personal pass to freedom. I learned to read at age three, and soon discovered there was a whole world to conquer that went beyond our farm in Mississippi.”
~ Oprah Winfrey
Parents and teachers very much understand that reading is very important in the development of language in a child.
It is also a wonderful bonding experience between a child and a parent. Read aloud to your child from a very early age and continue it as long as possible. Make it a relaxing and fun time. Children love it and it is a lasting memory for both child and parent. It helps develop a love of books and is a foundation to build on, as they begin to learn to read.
The ten reasons for reading
- Children who regularly read improve in their reading skills and their understanding of what they have read.
- Our brains are exercised by reading.
- It improves concentration.
- Children learn about the world outside their own through reading.
- It improves language development and vocabulary.
- Children can use their imagination to engage with the story.
- Reading helps children to be empathic through the characters and their stories.
- Reading is essential for their learning at school.
- Reading is fun and entertaining.
- Reading can be relaxing for the mind and body.
Some tips when reading
(whether reading aloud or the child reading to you)
- Have a quiet space to read.
- Make it fun.
- Teach them the alphabet and to identify the letters and sounds (from an early age).
- Show them the front and back of the book and how to hold it correctly.
- Talk to them about how words are made up of sounds joined together.
- Talk about the book.
- Ask them questions about the title and cover. What do they think the story is about?
- Look at the pictures and ask them questions about them. The pictures give us clues about what the story is about.
- Talk about what is happening in the story and why.
Remember the 3 Ps when your child is reading to you.
- Pause – if your child comes to a word they don’t know, pause and allow them time to sound out (decode) the word themselves.
- Prompt – if they are unable to work out the word themselves you can prompt them by giving them some ideas to help them.
- Sound it out.
- Reread the sentence, then sound it out again and see if it makes sense in the sentence.
- If they are unable to still work it out you can ask them if they need help.
- PLEASE NOTE The child needs to be encouraged to sound out the word rather than using the pictures as clues or reading ahead to guess the word.
- Praise – Praise them for their effort and tell them why they did well.Let your child pick what they want you to read or read to you.
- Take turns reading if your child is reading independently
- Read different books and materials. E.g. non-fiction, fiction books, magazines, comics, lists, songs.
- Have fun reading other things around them such as signs, recipes, and instructions.
- Be a role model and read.
- Visit the library.
- Use audio books.
Tips on Reading, Spelling & Writing – pdf
Ideas to use at home. Helping your child with literacy
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