Travel around the world, connect with your family and make exciting new discoveries with our suggestions for kick-starting your reading habit this year.
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One of the most significant benefits of reading is transporting yourself to different time periods and experiencing different cultures. I often wonder how I would have lived my life during various times and circumstances. Reading improves the imagination.
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Reading Strategy
How you approach a reading strategy will depend on your purpose for reading. Are you reading for information? for entertainment? to help your children? for work? We will have a brief look at these different areas.
∆ Reading Strategy For Your Children
If you are developing a reading strategy for your children, consider the following:
Choose books that relate to their age. If the book is not interesting to you, it probably won't hold their interest either. If they are old enough, allow them to choose their own books within your parental guidelines.
Never get books that talk down to children. The author should be able to relate to his reader by being on their level. Books that try too hard to teach lessons can be boring. The story must be interesting. C.S. Lewis was a master at what he called slipping "past watchful dragons." In other words, any moral lessons flowed naturally out of the story; the story was not invented to teach what "kids" should do.
Set a time to read with your child on a daily or weekly basis. Even older children often enjoy being read to or enjoy taking turns reading with you. It can be a fun parent/child time. Or, if your children are older, you could set aside some family reading time. Turn off the TV and computer. Put on some soft music while everyone enjoys some time reading their favourite books to themselves. The time should be the same every day or week if possible.
Getting children to read books they "have to" read for school is hard enough when the books are interesting. It is especially difficult if the books are boring. The main issue is changing the attitude toward reading. Following the above suggestion for a reading time can help create the mood. Also, ask questions that may pique their curiosity: Who is the main character? What are they like? Do you know anybody like that? What do you think is going to happen? What would you do if that happened to you? Asking questions also helps to increase comprehension.
When a required reading is boring, explain that some things in life just have to be done. Sorry, but that is a hard, cold fact. Many modern educators try to make everything "fun" as a supposedly better way of learning. Fun is good, but not everything is enjoyable. That's life! Sometimes reading essential material takes self-discipline, and every successful person has self-discipline. Illustrate self-discipline in the lives of people who interest your child. Attitude is the key. Take something that is unpleasant, creatively make it as enjoyable as possible, and get it finished.
