How to Unlock Your Child’s Reading Skills
Reading stories take you and your child on delightful adventures—to Narnia, to Hogwarts, to the quiet streets of Italy, to the vibrant cities of South America, and more. Beyond the power of imagination, stories have the power to unlock your child’s potential! It is universal knowledge that reading is an incredibly important part of your child’s emotional and intellectual development. A steady reading habit gives way to powerful reading skills that will later equip your child for success.
To put your child on the roadmap to future success, check out these tried and tested techniques for parents on how to improve your kid’s reading skills:
- Invest in quality reading materials. Books don’t just have the power to transport, but the power to transform. The absolutely beautiful thing about books is that they bring words and pictures to life by activating your child’s imagination and creativity. A story for kids about Veggieman won’t just help your child develop an appetite for vegetables, but will also give moral lessons that your child will cherish forever.
- Make reading a regular routine. It’s important for parents to spend quality time with their children each day, not just say good night during bedtime. This is where a quiet reading time comes in. You can set this right before having dinner or just before going to bed, it’s your choice. But you have to make sure that you stick to this time and this becomes a routine throughout the week. Children thrive on routine and it helps them become disciplined and independent. More importantly, this assures your child that at the end of the day, he or she will be able to spend time with you.
- Decode “mystery” words before or after reading a children’s book. Reading time is the perfect time to develop your child’s vocabulary by introducing new words and phrases. Just be sure to explain their meaning and use them in an understandable way as you go along. You could also make it a game during your reading time, for example, if they can identify the opposite of that word or if they can make another sentence using that word. Some story books for kids have flash cards or stickers so you can also incorporate those during your reading time.
- Establish healthy eating habits for your family. Part of engaging your child’s reading abilities is by ensuring that they are eating healthy and well. We can’t deny that most of the time, kids are picky eaters and would prefer to eat nuggets rather than broccoli or asparagus. This is where we come in with our dietary supplements for kids. Our fruits and vegetables supplements ensure that kids get their daily dose of vitamins and minerals from the food pyramid even when they’re snacking on cheese string the whole day.
- Instill physical fitness activities throughout the day. Physical play is a crucial part of a child’s health and wellness and activates salient parts of a child’s brain. Always encourage them to go outside for some vitamin D, to practice socializing with other kids, to use their creativity by coming up with games and fun activities with friends, and to develop a sense of sportsmanship when winning or losing in such games. The list goes on as to why playing outside is important for kids. Though we know there are limitations because of COVID-19, which is also why you should incorporate reading and story time into playtime.
Above all, reading should be a fun and memorable time for your child. Don’t pressure them if you find that they’re struggling during reading time. The best thing you can do is be patient and wait for your kid to come out of their shell. A reading habit is something that develops overtime, not overnight. Just have fun with it and enjoy reading with your little ones. Remember, they’re only little for a little while longer. To learn more, check us out or contact us at Veggieman.
