Reading train - Improve your reading skills

What should be done to inculcate the habit of reading in children?

Public Comments

1. Let them read books that appealt to them, if it is enjoyable then they will read for the rest of their lives. Apparently Harry Potter has done alot for childrens reading abilities!
2. Don't buy any electric devices especially multimedia.
3. Show to them that you too reads them.
4. Children should be exposed to the concept of books as early as possible. If you read to a child from a book with pictures and they can see what you are reading from, they will start to learn. Once they start to "get" what is going on, they will want to read for themselves. There is no such thing as too young for this.
5. I agree with a previous answer; shows you too can reads them. I think if it's something you do together and is something you can both genuinely enjoy, the youngster will want to read on his own beyond your oversight.
6. Read to your children everyday. Take them to the public library & immerse yourselves for a half hour to an hour at least once a week in all the exciting & fun books there. Children's books are so colorful & interesting. Public libraries also have activities & book readings on Saturday mornings & sometimes during the weekdays for the little kids. Read with your kids & discover what their interests are. You'd be surprised what you can all learn about each other as well as what you learn from reading. Also, make sure the kids see you reading - kids imitate what they see. I always went to the library with my Dad every Saturday since I was a baby. The librarians knew me well as they literally saw me grow up into the bookworm that I am. I always enjoyed receiving a couple books for my birthday. As a grandma, I make sure my little ones know the importance & fun of reading - I'm the only one in their lives who likes to read. Yes, one person can make a difference in their little lives.
7. first give them story books; gradually, give them books with big fonts and pictures. u too read books they will take interest in reading. Library for an hour daily will solve the problem.don't compel them to do reading.
8. Let the child read what he\she loves to read. For instance if a child loves fairy tales, then by all means encourage the child to read fairy tales. Suppressing any form of book because one considers it not to be worthwhile can kill a child's interest in reading. I have met people who consider fairy tales to be meant for being read by babies only. But then again one must realise that there is a lot of trash out there. Initially it is the job of an elder to sift through all of it. There are many children who love illustrations. Illustations help a child to picture scenes more easily. There are many excellent books being published today that are illustrated and have large fonts as well. Let a child read, but never force a child to read. There are many things to do in life that must not be lost at the expense of inculcating a good reading habit. Let the child select books. This is a sign that will encourage a child to read. Provide liberty to the child, yet exercise restraint, as and where it is needed. Once a child is set on the path and guided for a while, he\she will soon be ready to traverse it by themselves. Teach a child to love and respect the books and the library. This will transalate into a love for reading. In case of an older child (preferably in his\her teens) who is into reading Classics try to get hold of the movies that were made for the books that he\she read. The movies by BBC, based on classics such as David Copperfield are excellent. They stick to the book very thoroughly and are very enjoyable.
9. Be a good model to them. Try to read yourself. Children at an early age tend to copy the people around them. Also, surround your children with books and give them interesting subjects they like. Oh and I agree that it would be wise not to expose them so much to technology which can make them addicted to radiation-giving screens. OH and tv shows with fast transition have been proven to make minds dull and easily bored.
10. reading should start at an early age. even if they dont go to school yet, children should already be exposed to books so that they are already exposed to the different types of literature. its also key not to force them in any type of literature, let them read what they want to read. also, it will help if you read with them. it will influence them a lot and lead them to a "literary lifestyle"
11. Read to (them & in front of them) when they are very young & let them choose what they want to have read to them. Take them to the library. Most libraries have a "storytime" &/oe events that tie-in with popular books for kids. If this is not available, create tie-in activities/projects at home. This may include activites that the characters did in the book, or watching a movie made from the book after it is read. Above all, make it fun for them! And yes, television, computer, or video games need to be limited.
12. First and foremost, kids need to be read to. The simple bedtime story is one of the most effective ways of getting kids excited about books that I know. Books should always be available to them - even if it means frequent trips to the library. It also helps if kids see their parents reading. You'll notice every single one of these things has to do with the home. By the time kids go off to school, it's likely too late for them to become really passionate about reading. Parental involvement and interest remain key after a kid enters school too.
13. By reading to them regularly from the start they will come to appreciate the joy of reading. Parents, turn off the tv, computer and dumb games, get out a book and enjoy a book as a family. My mother read to us by the fire in winter, we loved it, it was a bonding experience and we didnt even remember the tv was in the room.