Stories were an incredibly influential force in the upbringing of my children. Clay and I taught our children to see themselves as the heroes of their own tale.
I have gotten countless messages asking how I encouraged all four of my children to love reading. It seems that with the rise of technology, inspiring children to love getting lost in a story through reading is becoming more difficult. Yet, fostering a love for good stories is still essential to their growth. But how can we inspire our children to love reading?
Let's start at the very beginning...
"Mama, p l e a s e don't stop. I want to hear more!"
When a child breathes in the beauty, fun, and inspiration of a great story, he becomes addicted to the pleasure of reading great books.
Encouraging an appetite for books, stories, and reading creates a desire in your child's heart for more books. From the moment my children could sit still for a few moments in my lap, I was reading to them. One favorite was a large Richard Scarry book that had pictures of multiple items labeled in both German and English. I made a game out of this book when Sarah was a wee toddler, and she learned all the words of both languages.
Where are the things that start with "b"? Name all of the things on this page you can eat. Or I would say, Where is an apple? Can you find something that starts with "buh" (b sound)?
Asking questions makes for interest in new books. Who was your favorite person in the story? Would you have acted that way?
Read using your most dramatic voices--a squeak for a mouse, a booming voice for a ferocious bear, and different voices for children in the story.
Reading is a mysterious process. Although various schools and experts defend their respective theories and methodologies of how to teach a child to read, no one fully understands how a child actually acquires this important skill.
Through our many years of home schooling, we have come to find that raising children to have a true love of reading has helped them blossom. My children developed different habits regarding how often they read, what kind of books they preferred, and how early they could concentrate on many pages. Yet because we gave them delight in cuddling up on the couch to enjoy a rousing story together every day, it became a part of the oxygen of life they breathed.
Now all of our children, in spite of differing personalities and different academic skills, love reading and recalling all the great stories we read together. Before your children even begin reading on their own, there are very simple, practical ways that you can introduce them to the concept. Give these tips a try this week with your little one!
Before Beginning Reading: -Read aloud favorite illustrated storybooks every day with your child. -Read alphabet books that contain pictures of a variety of objects for each letter. -Play with alphabet blocks and magnetic letters to familiarize your child with the alphabet. -Label important things in your child's life and read them out loud every day. -Teach your child the letters of their name, especially the beginning letters. -Make reading books aloud a wonderful, pleasurable time for your child. -Create a library shelf in your child's room to encourage ownership of books.