Your child has started reading, now she is reading books, she can read an entire book by herself, you are one proud Mom or Dad, you have a feeling of déjà vu BUT wait don't get too elated. There is a downside to this whole thing which might not have crossed your mind when you were desperately trying to teach her the difference between "C" in Cinderella and "C" in Cat.
Pros of Reading:
- The child can read, reading is definitely a good habit, being a voracious reader myself I don't have enough words to say how reading can change one's life.
- You no longer have to read your child a bed time story and so can utilize that time for better things like maybe blogging
- If the older one reads, you might just get away reading a bed time story to the younger one. Yeah, delegate and so now the older one reads to the younger one. Yippeee!!!
- Your child can now read road signs and give you directions from the back seat.
Cons of Reading (not to be taken seriously) :
- You no longer can read whatever you want. If you are the kind of person who has hoity-toity coffee table books and cheap romantic trash in the bedroom, your life is doomed. You wouldn't like it if your 5 year old picks up one of those and reads a page aloud...ahem
- You can no longer take her and roam freely through all aisles of the Super Store, you never know what might spring up. I suggest keep away from aisles labeled "Feminine Hygiene" and such
- You can no longer write a blog where you exaggerate and basically write stuff which might not be exactly true to life, small deviations like "I made Chicken Curry yesterday" might make her comment, "No, you did not make it yesterday, it was 2 days back"
- She peers over your shoulder while you type and suggests that you put her stuff on the blog too, so your personal space is no longer yours now.
Since Big Sis S started reading fluently a year back, I have to be more careful around her at home. More than her own books, she is interested in reading my e-mail or the bills or even Toys R Us fliers and at times my blog. She does read to her sis, which is a good thing though
We also used up our time last snow day by making a book, nothing fancy, something a child can do on her own. I cut up some of her old daily sheets (we reuse all such papers by using them for printing, drawing, writing etc.) and she made a book with a story and illustration. Served with some cookies she helped to make. Next on line, she wants to make a book about her little sis.
On another note, to get your kids interested in reading try these
- Start early (as in once they recognize alphabets) and ask her to read out aloud and sound out letters when you are at the store, on the road where ever
- Get those fridge letter magnets and form words with them which she can read. This can be done any time, all the time.
- You need to read to at least initiate her interest. If you don't have any books at home or a reading atmosphere, and ask her to sit and read that won't help a whole lot. Once she is into it, go watch your TV
- Go to the library or the bookstore and spend time browsing, borrowing, reading.
- Ask her to read and write your grocery list to show how reading is incorporated in daily life. She will get a kick out of writing and reading simple words like Milk, Egg etc.
- Ask her to read instructions of her new game, the card she has received, her school calendar which shows the "pizza day"
- And again each child will read, write, do whatever at their own pace, don't rush and be patient.
Do you have any ideas to share about how to get kids interested in reading ?
Check out these posts on DMC for at home Snow/rainy day Activities
More on how reading can be exciting -- My work here is done
Happy Holi and Happy Reading !!!
