Hi my name Becky and you can normally find me over at Lakes Single Mum but thanks to the Brit Mums blog swap I’m delighted to be here at Kat’s place! You’ll find her post back on my blog. When I’m not blogging you can find me on Twitter @LakesSingleMum.
One of my big passions is books and I am really passionate about getting children hooked on reading from an early age. I can’t remember not being a bookworm and I think reading one of the most important skills to pass on to our children.
Some people believe that reading to an unborn child not only allows them to bond due to the sound of the parent’s voice but that they then also favour the stories that have been read to them in utereo! I have to admit I didn’t try this but I guess child number 2 could hear the stories I read to child number 1.
The main thing is to get your child used to having books around them and to read to them regularly and to let them see you read yourself. For babies they are more interested in contrasting colours and textures rather than the story itself. Having a book in their hands or mouth can encourage them to carry on reading as they get older.
Make story time part of your daily routine with your child, not just at bed time but at any time of day. Get your child a library card so you can borrow them plenty of books. Once they are old enough make trips together to let them choose their own books. If you can join in with free story and rhyme time activities.
Don’t worry if your child insists on the same book every night at bedtime. It may be boring for you but it doesn’t do them any harm and it can actually assist in their own reading later. I found that my son could tell me some of his favourite stories word for word at the age of 2.
Once they start formal reading at school you will discover which kind of books they actually get pleasure from reading. At this point there are often gender differences. Girls are pretty happy reading story books but boys on the whole prefer factual books or even cartoons. Whatever they choose as long as it has words in it then it will be encouraging them to read and improve.
Boys also need male role models to assure them that reading is a good thing. A father or grandfather who reads to them or is seen to read for pleasure can boost a boy’s reading levels. Of course girls need to see their mums reading too. It may well be that you can institute a family reading time when everyone can curl up with their own book and enjoy the peace and quiet.
