We have all wished, at some point, to be able to read more. The screens can never beat the comfort that words provide. Reading is easily one of the best habits to cultivate–whether you want to read to grow your knowledge, for entertainment, for winding down after a long day, or simply for the experience of it. It is one of the habits that can stay with us forever, especially if developed early in life.
Why You Should Instill Reading Habits in Your Children
Reading helps develop vocabulary, confidence, imagination, creativity, and communication skills. Nurturing a love of reading in childhood is going to help your little ones throughout their life. It will help them pick up languages and concepts faster, make it easier for them to think critically, introduce them to new worlds, grow their own imagination, make them more compassionate—the list is endless. If it feels to you like an insurmountable task, worry not, here are some tips that will help.
How To Help Children Cultivate a Reading Habit
If you wish to raise a reader, but don’t know where to start, here’s how to go about it:
Read to Them Daily: Make reading a part of their daily routine. Choose the time according to your convenience, but keep it consistent. Half an hour before bed, or in the morning before the day starts, sit with them with a book. Before they have learnt to read, you can read to them, and later, just keep them company as they read out loud. It will give you one-on-one time with them and strengthen your bond, too.
Read With Them: It is important to set an example, no matter what you want them to learn. Children learn through imitation. Your words do not have the same effect as your actions do. Read alongside your children, and they will want to read, too. Books, magazines, whatever you want to read, just read with them. You reading will help create a culture of reading in your home, and encourage your kids’ love for books.
Give Them Access to Books: For children to be able to develop a reading habit, it is important for them to have access to a lot of books. Keep books of their interest in the house. Take them to libraries and bookstores. Keep age-appropriate books that they can choose from, and let them pick what to read next.
Read What Interests Them: Every child is drawn towards something different–from dragons and wizards to space and stars. Some children like to explore different ideas at once. It is significant to their development to let them pursue whatever interests them, and it will also keep them interested in reading.
Talk to Them About the Things They Read: Children need to feel connected, and the best way to connect with someone is through their interests. Ask them questions about what they have read, what they think would happen next, and how they would want the story to end. Having conversations with them will help with growing their imagination, and being able to talk to you about it would make them want to read more.
Books As Rewards: A lot of children develop a negative connotation with regards to books. Often because of being forced to read, they become apprehensive about books. As you make reading fun, and a way to connect and spend time with you, they will begin to like books. Giving them books as rewards would attach a sense of accomplishments to books, and motivate them to read more.
Introduce Culture Through Reading
Another overlooked advantage of books is their association with culture. Language provides an entryway into a culture that otherwise we would find difficult to understand. Even if it is your own culture, if your children are growing up bilingual, they will appreciate throughout their lives the connection language would offer them to their roots. Present your child with a Vietnamese book, and you will see them developing respect and admiration for their culture. They will gain a new perspective for learning and perceiving things around them. Through Vietnamese books they will be introduced to the Vietnamese language, myths, folktales, and life lessons. Bilingual books can become one of the best tools to help kids learn both the languages and appreciate multiple cultures and their differences.
If you wish to give the gift of knowledge and joy to your children, help them find a love for books. Read to them, read with them, and read for them. It is not easy to get children away from screens these days, but it is worth the effort. Especially so if you can introduce them to newer cultures and languages through reading.
Languages are easy to pick up for children, and a Vietnamese language book can help them along in the journey. To buy Vietnamese books for children, visit the Language Lizards website.
