How Do I Get My Child To Read?
|
|
Well first off, please to don't institute the ½ hour of mandatory reading that so many schools and parents are so keen on these days. You want to encourage a life-long love of reading and frankly you would be much more likely to succeed by banning reading in your house then by turning reading into yet another chore that needs to be done.
Secondly, you want to make sure that your child doesn't have some learning disability that makes reading hard and uncomfortable. Even a child who makes good grades can have some undetected condition that makes reading difficult. Check with your child's teacher and/or have him tested if necessary. If there is a learning disability present, experts can help your child with strategies that will make reading easier and more enjoyable.
The best time to instill a love of reading in your child is before they can read. Read to them at bed time. Please don't play a bedtime video. If you are too busy to read to your child then you can play a book on tape. Just make sure that reading is part of a bedtime ritual that is comfortable and pleasant.
The number one way to instill a love of reading in your child is to be an avid reader yourself. When your little girl comes to you wanting to play Barbies, you can say "One moment sweetie, I want to finish this chapter". You will be showing her by example that reading is even more fun than Barbies! If you hate to read then have yourself tested for a disability. Again you will be demonstrating how important reading is. Also think about instituting a "quiet" time during the day when you read and must not be disturbed. It would be a perfect time for them to read as well. Talk about books while eating dinner.
You also need to make sure that there are plenty of books in the house. The library is great but you must also own books. They need to be available. Having no money is no excuse. There are plenty of used bookstores and flea markets with cheap books for sale. Libraries often sell books and sometimes even give them away. When I started an on-line used book store, I was immediately inundated with truckloads of books from friends who needed to clear out. Just let people know you want books and they will start to appear. Believe me! Make sure there is a wide variety of subjects and titles. You never know what will spark your child's interest.
Respect your books and encourage you children to respect them too. Get them a special book mark. Teach them to take care of their books.
Let's say you didn't read to your child as a baby and now he only reads when the school makes them and they hate it! Cancel the cable and get the electronic games out of the house. You may think it is a drastic move but it is necessary. (Don't link this change to reading in any way.) You can always bring the TV and electronics back once the habit of reading has been established. You must be willing to make sacrifices necessary to help your child be a success in life. Studies show that the kids who read are the ones who end up finding success. I cannot imagine my life without my books. It would be so drab.
Some children are so active that they have trouble sitting still long enough to read a book. If you have one of these children, ask yourself the following questions: Are you letting your child have a lot of sugar and caffeine? Do they get enough sleep? Be honest! These issues are all linked together and could be contributing to the problem. Again add reading to the bedtime ritual. If you don't have one, make one. Active children particularly need as transition to help them sleep. Start by reading to your child and then let you child read to them-selves. You can even read to an older child or take turns reading to each other.
Finally let your child pick the books. You can find books on subjects that interest them and give them as gifts. Or you can take the recommendations of the child editors of www.kidsrecommendbooks.com.
The bottom line is that you must create an atmosphere that encourages reading without pushing it on your child.
** Attn Ezine editors / Site owners **Feel free to reprint this article in its entiretyin your ezine or on your site so long as you leaveall links in place, do not modify the content andinclude our resource box as listed above.
If you do use the material please send us a noteso we can take a look. Thanks.
Jeanne Russell is a single mother, writer, and entrepreneur. She is founder of http://www.jeannerussell.com (a website devoted to self-improvement and success) and also http://www.stressandthesinglemom.com
|
|
|
Discipline On My Mind
I look out of the window as I am writing this. It is home time and mums are collecting their children from the local primary school. I see and hear harassed mums shouting "come here" (no response); "get down from there" (no response); "if you do that again you'll get a slap" (no response; no slap). And what am I writing about? Discipline!What does that word discipline conjure up in your mind? For many of us it provokes a picture of punishments and the control of others through the threat of punishments.However, only thinking along those lines might be missing the point. And if we do that the...(related: Parenting)
Kids And Sports: Fundamentals First
Would you hand a child calculus problems once she was able to count to ten? A geometry text when he began to recognize shapes? War and Peace as soon as she could recite her ABCs? Of course not! Not only is it preposterous to have such expectations of a child, but also it sets up the child for failure - and, most likely, a dread of and distaste for calculus, geometry, and reading.Yet all too many children are enrolled in gymnastics, karate, dance classes, and organized sports before they've mastered such basic movements as bending and stretching, walking with correct posture, and bouncing and catching a ball. How is that significantly different from expecting a child who's barely learned to speak to recite the Declaration of Independence - for an audience, no less?The fact that a little one can walk doesn't nec...(related: Parenting)
How Effective Is Eeg Neurofeedback Training In Treating The Symptoms Of Adhd?
Many research studies have shown the overall effectiveness of stimulant medication, such as Ritalin and Dexedrine in their various forms, in treating the symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders in children, teens, and adults. Even though stimulants are not the only effective option in the treatment of the disorder, stimulants may be a good choice, and their use should be discussed with your physician.
Below is a chart s...(related: Parenting)
Parenting Your Teenager: Truth Or Lie?
Attention all parents of teen-agers. Here is an important, groundbreaking and even shocking bulletin for you:According to research conducted at the prestigious-sounding Josephson Institute of Ethics in, of course, California, here are two startling pieces of information:1) 92 percent of teens surveyed admitted to lying to their parents at least once in the last year.2) 78 percent of teens surveyed admitted to lying to their teachers at least once in the past year.Have you gotten up off the floor yet?Please forgive my sarcasm, but to put it in the language of the age group surveyed:...(related: Parenting)
A Chance For A Home
"He is happiest, be he king or peasant, who finds peace in his home." - Johann von GoetheHome. Family. Backyard cookouts. A table laden with more than we can eat on Thanksgiving day. These things ground us, offer us stability, and give us an environment where we can learn, explore, grow, and even self-actualize.Yet for 210 million children, these basic human needs will never be met because most of these children will come of age in an institution, never knowing a family, never experiencing the warmth, joy and acceptance of a home environment.These children are orphans. And for them, finding a family is like winning a lottery...(related: Parenting)
Kids And Chores - Make It Easy On Yourself!
My neighbours' kid impressed me the other day.I was busy painting the backyard fence, when their ten-yearold son came out with the vacuum cleaner. He opened thefront panel, removed the bag, and put it in the bin. Then hetook a replacement bag, fitted it, and went back indoors -probably to get on with the vacuum cleaning!Fifteen minutes la...(related: Parenting)
Hearing Our Seriously Distressed Adolescents
The distressed adolescent often has feelings of abandonment, emotional detachment, withdrawal, and isolation. These children begin to develop an intense anger directed towards an adult society that they feel has hurt them and does not understand them. Parents need to to learn how to build relationships with these children and this can be accomplished through a pro...(related: Parenting)
Baby Name Meanings
Speaking as a Michael (a Hebrew name, meaning "Who is like God"), I'm really proud of my name. And I think that I ? mostly - live up to the title! Of course, my mother would probably disagree; I think the phrase "little devil" would probably pass her lips if she was describing me during many stages of my childhood.But ...(related: Parenting)
Parenting
This article on parenting is by a practicing relationship counsellor/therapist, and father.The following suggestions will be useful for any parent or caregiver who wants to improve their relationships with their children.In more extreme situations, many of the approaches will still be directly useful, and the overall approach is a guide for what the extreme situation needs to come back to.It would also be very useful to attend relationship and/or family counselling to uncover the deeper sources of any family conflict.Main points:
- Often, it is the unresolved trauma or early needs in the...(related: Parenting)
Intro To Medications For Add Adhd
The most common medications used in the treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder are stimulant medications. Anti-depressant medications, and even anti-convulsant medications, are sometimes used as well, though this is less common.
The stimulant medications used to treat ADHD include Ritalin (Methylphenidate), Dexedrine (Dextroamphetamine), ADDerall, and Cylert (Sodium Pemoline). Ritalin is the most commonly used stimulant. About 90% of all patients who decide to use stimulants for their ADHD will at some point use Ritalin. It is the most predictable of the stimulants.
ADDerall is the new ...(related: Parenting)
How To Deal With Your Child?s Inappropriate Behaviour
Children bombard parents with many challenging behaviours. We are delighted if their behaviour is mostly positive. But what if your child constantly demonstrates negative behaviour? How are you going to deal with it?It can get very frustrating for a mother who is yelled at every time she says 'no' to a child. In my clinic, I've seen parents who feel desperate when their son or daughter who used to behave like a "saint" is now rebellious, oppositional, and involved in drugs.As a parent, what are your options?Establish a Hierarchy of Consequences ...(related: Parenting)
Homes For Troubled Teens: Therapeutic And Residential
For troubled teens who are struggling with drug abuse, depression or other serious issues, residential treatment centers that offer therapy-based solutions might be the best option. Residential treatment centers usually have a complete psychiatric staff available to monitor each troubled teen closely and provide therapy in addition to a curriculum of academics, exercise and personal development. Programs, which provide 24-hour supervision, structure and treatment, usually last from three ...(related: Parenting)
site-map - Copyright © 2006 | Contact Webmaster | Baby Care Info | All Rights Reserved. | Parenting