The Laid Back Parents Guide To Teaching Your Child To Read
|
At first I thought of titling this article "The Lazy Parent's Guide" but then I realized that most parents aren't lazy, but they may have a slightly different philosophy about children and learning.
If you're a big reader yourself or if you're homeschooling, you're probably concerned about how to teach your child to read. Reading is one of the most important skills a person can learn, and a great joy in life.
My laid-back methods of teaching a child to read:
1) Be a reader yourself
Children naturally want to copy adult behavior. If your kids see you often with your nose in a book, they will probably begin to wonder what is so interesting about this activity.
2) Read to your kids
This is probably a huge no-brainer. Read to your kids early and often. And don't read in order to "teach your child how to read". I believe that the best way to teach your child to read is to NOT teach your child to read!
Read to your child because you enjoy it and it's fun. Some forward-thinking education experts believe that the teaching of reading is mostly what prevents reading. After all, don't adults read as a means to an end? Because they want to learn something or because they enjoy the act of reading?
3) Don't worry so much
Don't worry about a right or wrong way of reading to your child.
If your preschool-age child isn't interested in books yet, or won't sit still for more than 30 seconds to finish a story, don't fret.
If your 3 year old wants to point at pictures or turn to favorite pages and ask a million questions, don't fuss.
Children learn in different ways than adults do and I don't think anyone knows enough about the human mind to figure it all out. Make reading together pleasant, not stressful.
And don't worry about how old your child is when they learn to read. If they're reading at 3 or at 8, studies show that it makes little difference in their intelligence or ability by the time they reach middle school.
4) Pick topics that interest your child
My oldest son's interest in reading really skyrocketed when we started the Series of Unfortunate Events books by Lemony Snicket. We would sit for hours and read aloud together when he was only 5 or 6. Visit Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events for more information about these books.
These books were technically above his age level, but I advise you to forget all that.
John Holt, the legendary educator and author, has been quoted as saying:
"It's nice to have children's books, but far too many of them have too much in the way of pictures. When children see books, as they do in the family where the adults read, with pages and pages and pages of print, it becomes pretty clear that if you're going to find out what's in those books, you're going to have to read from that print. I don't think there's any way to make reading interesting to children in a family in which it isn't interesting to adults."
So let your child pick books from the library or bookstore and don't concern yourself about whether the titles are "age appropriate".
Above all, have fun snuggling up with your child and enjoy reading together!
Carrie Lauth publishes an informative newsletter for Moms doing things the naturalway. Get your subscriber goodies at http://www.natural-moms.com
|
|
|
Why Modern Moms Are Going Back To The Basics ? The Evolution Of The Cloth Diaper
Having a baby is one of the most exciting times of your life. It is also one of the most stressful. So many decisions have to be made about nearly every aspect of your baby's comfort, safety, and happiness. You spend hours pouring over pregnancy and child rearing books, picking out the perfect crib, finding the most adorable and comfortable clothing, and envisioning the safest and most peaceful birth for your baby as possible. No doubt somewhere in your planning you have thought about how many diapers you will need for your new little one and perhaps you have even purchased some in advance. If you are like the majority of parents out there, then you have automatically decided upon disposable diapers without ever giving it a second thought. Stop right there! There is...(related: Parenting)
Difference
There are times when my ideas of raising a child is different from the elderly and others. To begin with, my baby is not an easy one. Because we're all different and have contrasting ideas about raising their own children, we should expect contradiction...especially if we have to depend on others to help take care of our children while we're away at work.Sometimes, others may refer to your child as a BAD BABY just because your child is not as 'well behaved' as others. But through the years of parenting, I have begun to question the following, who's a good baby and who's a bad one ? Is there ever a bad baby? Are babies capable of being bad? What is bad?Being a work at home mother, I work during the when I have to. Even when I am physically at home, I still HAVE TO work a...(related: Parenting)
Now, Theyre Bullying My Daughter In Our Home: Welcome To Cyber-bullying
Last night Tom's daughter, Sue, came out of her room to see her dad and said, "I got another one of those instant messages. It sa...(related: Parenting)
What Is Homeschooling And How Do I Know If Its Right For My Family?
Do you know what these famous people have in common?
- Alexander Graham Bell
- George Patton
- Albert Einstein
- Benjamin Franklin
- Winston Churchill
- Agatha Christie
- George Bernard Shaw
- Will Rogers
Is Your Child Becoming A Praise Junkie?
Do you praise your child when he fulfils a basic bodily function? Do you praise your child for obeying the laws of gravity? Do you give praise for simple so...(related: Parenting)
School Holiday Survival Guide
The school holidays are a great time for the kids, all those weeks of fun and games, no school, getting up late??but not for their parents! Summer vacation time can be just as much like hard work as the rest of the year. Trying to keep the...(related: Parenting)
Top Five Ways To Stay In Touch With Your Child
Once your little boy/girl goes off to school, you may find that your "special talks" occur less frequently....(related: Parenting)
Alias: Aptitude
Be aware. You may become totally overwhelmed when you get the results of the special education testing on your child. There is a lot of "stuff" on that report! And much of it sounds like a foreign language to many people.
You get one piece the results from the Intelligence part of the test. This is extremely important information, but know that it will most...(related: Parenting)
Will My Doubts And Fears Affect My Child?
"Will my doubts and fears affect my child?" This father is concerned about his son, a high school athlete with a vision of playing professional sports. The father's fear is that his son won't be accepted into the 'right' college to be scouted by the professionals. He wanted to know:How does your vibration, as a parent, affect your children?Can your ...(related: Parenting)
The Mystery Of Child Beliefs, Spirit In Children, Understanding Spirtuality In Children
In the wonderment of childhood, it is easier for a child to find Spirit and belief than it is for adults! Tainted with the experiences of the mundane world, sadly a downhill experience of late, adults can become jaded, defensive, argumentative and nonbelievers. Not so with the purity and innocence of childhood.Children are occupied with their "work" of play, school and learning every momen...(related: Parenting)
site-map - Copyright © 2006 | Contact Webmaster | All Rights Reserved. | Parenting