The benefits of starting books early

Imagination To Vocabulary – So Much The World Of Books Can Bring To You!

There is something about the smell of the pages of a book; the way they feel when you touch the pages and when you turn it over; that feeling of excitement about wanting to know what happens next. When you pick up a book, you are doing more than just whiling away some time – you are inculcating a habit that will do so much for you. Reading not only helps improve your language skills and vocabulary, it gives your imagination wings and quite often help build traits almost unconsciously – how many times have we felt that chivalry and charm should become part of the school curriculum! 

As a parent, a guardian or a caregiver, if you get the chance to inculcate the habit of reading in a child, you would have truly given them a gift that will last them a lifetime. But there are so many people who always have that starting trouble – they are either not sure about how to get small children into reading or they are not sure what books to pick and so on. Getting a child to fall in love with reading is actually as easy as ABC and we have some simple tips and tricks that you too can use:

• Read to them and read with them – It doesn’t matter how small or old your child is, chances are that they enjoy listening to stories; so why not pick out a story book and read to them. This is a great way to get smaller kids interested, because for them it means a double treat; not only do they get to listen to a story, they also get some quality time with you. Smaller kids will love to settle down on your lap or cuddle with your in bed, as you read to them. Make sure that you pick books with plenty of pictures that they can enjoy looking at, while you read. If you are reading with older kids, allow them to pick the books they want and then sit with them, allowing them to read to you. Or how about picking characters and reading with interesting voices and accents! It is also imperative that you practise what you preach – so if you are asking your kids to read, make sure that you read in front of them and while they are around, so that they know that it is the right thing to do. 

• Reading corners as well as reading everywhere – When you want to encourage children to read, you need to ensure that there is plenty of reading material available to them. Try to create a reading corner in your home, with a comfortable armchair or even some throw pillows on the floor, where you and your kids can enjoy some reading time. Another great way to create a habit of reading books is to take regular trips to libraries and bookstores that allow you to lounge around with books. But then, reading need not be limited only to the books – there are reading opportunities all around us; labels at the supermarket, headlines in the newspaper and even billboards! 
• Share and exchange your way to more books – There is no reason for you to keep buying books, when you could always find was to share and exchange. Whether you live in an apartment building or have a large group of friends from school, there is always scope to share and exchange books. As a matter of fact, you can initiate a lending library within a small group, allowing access to a larger number of books! Alternately, you could always look for a regular library and get yourself and your kids’ memberships!  
• Don’t shy away from the tech – And while there is no denying that the charm of turning a physical page is magical, there is no need to shy away from technology. Whether you choose to listen to an audiobook or read a story on Kindle, the idea is to get the interest going – as a matter of fact, making reading a habit could even come by way of movies. How many of us have enjoyed reading the Harry Potter books and then enjoyed the movies with the same enthusiasm! You could encourage the kids to read and then take them for the movie or the other way round; either way, you want your children to get interested, to get hooked!

So you see, getting kids into the habit of reading is easy, as long as you are willing to put in a little effort on your own!