Instilling the Joy of Reading in a Child

Educational experts agree that the more children read, the more they’ll enjoy reading and the better readers they’re likely to become.

Parents can play a key role in helping their child become a life-long reader by instilling the joy of reading from an early age. Educational experts recommend that parents spend at least one hour per week – or 10 to 15 minutes a day – reading with children as young as preschool.

Reading is an important life skill and source of great personal enjoyment. But reading skills and habits develop young, so it’s important for parents to encourage their children’s love of reading at an early age. Spending an hour a week reading with your children inside and outside your home can foster a lifetime of reading.

Instilling the joy of reading can start with preschoolers. The education experts at Sylvan Learning, the leading provider of tutoring to students of all ages, grades and skill levels, recommend that parents set aside time for reading aloud to their child while pointing to the words on the page as they are spoken - encouraging children between ages 4 and 7 to recognize words themselves.



Reading aloud continues to be important with grade school children, as it helps them to develop language skills. Encouraging discussion with a child also contributes to language development skills and can help with reading. Grade school is the time to introduce a child to the local public library, and expand reading to include newspapers and magazines. Parents can also designate shelves in their child’s room to create a child’s own “home library.”

Don’t forget to read outside the home as well. There are many opportunities to read to your child – and have him read back to you – as you’re running errands, attending events and dining out.

Parents can also take advantage of reading opportunities on the Internet. For example, Book Adventure is a free, interactive, reading motivation program created by Sylvan Learning and found online at www.BookAdventure.com. Students in grades K-8 choose their own books from more than 7,500 titles, take short comprehension quizzes and redeem their accumulated points for small prizes. Book Adventure also offers teacher and parent resources and tips to help children develop a lifelong love of reading.