#raising a reader

Develop early reading habit in children

This post is to discuss various strategies a parent can use to raise a reader without taking any stress and pressure. I am sure this post will help new parents on the block to inculcate early reading habits in their children. Implementing these tips will also aid in the development of verbal communication. Start as early as possible Start reading to your child as early as possible. This will…

Reading out to your baby can begin as early as when the baby is in the womb. The baby has the ability to listen and this would make it even more easier once the baby is born. You can read out or even sing to them so that they get used to it. Listening to your voice has so many positive effects once the baby is out.

As early as two months’ baby can identify black and white so books with images…

Ray and I read books every night before I put him to bed. Tonight, he gravitated toward a library book, “The Day the Crayons Came Home” by Drew Daywalt. Ray kept flipping to the back flap of the book, where the mini-bios of the author and illustrator are with their photos.

Ray pointed to the photo of the author and asked “What’s that?” (It’s a constant question... and it sounds more like “Wuzz ah?”) So I told him: “That’s the author.” And he immediately repeated “author” – so clearly, I almost fell out of the chair!

We repeated that a few times – “What’s that?” “Author.” “Author!” Then, he moved on to the photo of the illustrator, Oliver Jeffers.

Ray: “What’s that?”

Me: “That’s the illustrator.”

Pause...

Ray: “Hi!”

I couldn’t help but laugh at how the word “illustrator” appeared to break his little brain... The next time he asked, I switched it up and identified the photo as the “artist” – and he repeated that word, too!

Friday night, Ray and I went to the senior citizens prom that the school I work for puts on every year. Ray basically became the entertainment, shaking his groove thing on the dance floor all night. We both had a blast!

Knowing the gym would already be decorated, the school scheduled a mother/son party for tonight (Saturday). It’s a fundraiser for a scholarship, and the answer to the father/daughter dance that is held in the fall.

I was planning to take Ray. After he woke up from his nap, I asked him, “Do you want to go to another party? Do you want to go dancing with mommy again?”

“No.”

I waited, and asked again while he was playing in the living room.

“No.”

While he was eating dinner and we were FaceTiming with my mom, I asked him a few times.

“No.”

Now, this party isn’t something I had my heart set on going to. We hadn’t even bought our tickets yet. And I was still kind of pooped from Friday night. So I figured I should offer some other choices.

“Do you want to cuddle up and watch a movie?”

“No.”

Then I remembered the two new books we had just bought at his daycare’s book fair last week that I hadn’t even unpacked yet.

“Ray, do you want to sit on mommy’s lap and read your new books?”

“Yeah!”

And it was an enthusiastic yeah! His choice was crystal clear.

I’m with you, kiddo - I’d rather stay home with a good book than go out and party any night of the week.