Reading is one of the most important habits to develop in life. Driven by the hunger to know more, for some its even more than just a hobby. The right books can change your perspective about life completely, teach you things that you wouldn’t otherwise learn and help in developing critical thinking skills. The importance of reading has been reiterated by all successful people around the world. It not only helps in developing language skills and vocabulary but also helps in reducing stress.
In order to develop reading skills early on in a child’s life, here are some tips —
- Provide books at the right level —
Ensure that the books that your kid reads is not that hard for them to comprehend. If it’s too complicated a subject, they might just loose interest early. The child should be able to make sense of what's written - Read in portions —
When trying to attempt more complex books. One can break them down into chunks so that if becomes easier to process. This also helps the child to retain the information better while developing confidence in understanding the complex topic. - Set reading goals —
It is really important for any kid to set their own reading goals as it helps in forming a habit. This also helps them track their own progress and be more mindful of how they improve. Having kids read everyday is a good brain exercise for them. - Make the content more relative —
One can increase their understanding of a subject by seeing how it relates to their own life. You can try helping them in making personal connections with what they learn. - Highlight text, Annotate —
Underlining valuable information and adding notes to it helps them stay focused and improve comprehension. One can write down questions, add notes to something they think is relevant, or add markers for future reference. - Have them read aloud —
This not only improves their vocabulary skills but their oratory skills. When kids read out aloud they remain more focused on comprehension of the passage - Discuss what they’ve covered —
When you discuss what a kid has covered while reading a book, it gives him more confidence to give voice his opinions on it. This in turn makes them want to read more and gain different perspectives about a topic.
