= ji 5 Fe. ir; EOF Ch FAkintrs oo ies - Top Tips To Encourage A Child’s Love Of Reading (NAPSA)—Hasyourchild read any good books lately? Encouraging reading is one way parents can help their children succeed academically and develop an enjoyable and positive habit. “Children who have reading problems can perform poorly in school, finding it harder to master increasingly difficult subjects. So it’s very important to promote a love of books at an early age—and you can start a lot earlier than you might even imagine,” said Beverly Ellman, a reading and writing specialist. Children learn to read at different ages. Some can read a simple book by age 2 while others struggle into grade school. Here are a few tips roughly broken down into age groups; you can adapt them to your own child’s abilities: Birth to age 3 Even a 6-month-old baby can enjoy sitting on your lap andlooking at picture books without words. Parents can describe the pictures as they turn the pages. Be sure books are tough enough to withstand tugging, pulling and throwing. Establish a time of day when you read to yourchildren. Talking helps develop reading ability. Talk with your child all day using short, simple sentences. If your native languageis not English, talk to your child in your native language anyway. Practicing their first language will help them practice English. Let your children see you read. Children love to imitate dren watch television and limit their viewing to educational programsthat teach reading basics. Ages 5 to 11 As children get older, you can take turns reading a book with them. Ask them what part of the book they like best. If the child has read more than one book by an author, ask which one he likes A program that lets children write their own booksalso helps them to develop reading and comprehension. their parents. Ages 3 to5 Introduce your child to books with poems and silly rhymes, which children love to repeat. Children have a great sense of the absurd, so rhyming books such as those by Shel Silverstein can improve their language ability and tickle their funny bone. Take yourchild to the library to get his or her ownlibrary card. Let her choose her own books within reason. Choosing a book makes reading it extra special, because the books a child chooses reflect her special interests. Give your children books as gifts. Share your favorites from when you weretheir age. Set up a reading area in your home where children can easily reach their books. Restrict the time your chil- best and why. Stay involved in your child’s schoolwork. Research shows that when parents are involved in a child’s learning, achievement increases. Use tools to help older children (grades 4 and 5) experience success. For example, reading and writing programs such as Knowledge Adventure Books by You help children to tap into their creativity while learning and applying reading and writing processes. The software product is designed to allow kids, ages 8 and up, to create, edit, illustrate and person- alize books. In this program, award-winning author and actor John Lithgow motivates and guides children through the book-development process by asking thought-provoking questions. Kids’ answers and details are woven into the story in unexpected ways that make reading the story a fun and involving experience. For more information, visit www.parentspace.com. One of the best gifts a parent can give is the gift of reading. It’s a gift that not only entertains but benefits children for a lifetime.
