How Can We Encourage Our Children To Become Better Readers?


There is no doubt that knowledge is power, and that books are full of knowledge. Through books, we can enrich our minds, learn our religion better, strengthen our faith, and enjoy life more fully. Having access to information through the Internet, radio, and television is important; however, reading books is still an absolute necessity in both our lives and our children's lives. The stories in books provide great lessons for kids, teach them proper behavior, and facilitate the building of their characters. As well, their success in school depends greatly on their ability to read books, which in turn depends greatly on the support we give them in becoming better readers. And since home is the first place where children learn and the first five years of life are critical in a child's development and well being, our role in preparing them to succeed as readers starts in the earliest stages of their lives. One of the best ways to get kids excited about reading books is to read aloud to them. They will enjoy listening to us long before they are able to comprehend the existence of printed words, and picture books can play an important role in teaching them. Reading together is not only a learning activity that develops children's language and listening skills and prepares them to be better readers, but it also provides a wonderful time for children to spend and enjoy with their parents - listening to their voices while looking into their eyes. As parents, we should aim at reading with them as often as we can - at least once every day - and at choosing age appropriate materials that also match their interests. If we have more than one child, it is recommended that we read alone with each child, or at least alternate days in allowing them the chance to choose the book to be read. Enjoyment is essential in the process of reading, so it helps tremendously when we make an effort to create a spirit of joy and fun, adventure and wonder, while we read with our children. When they regularly enjoy "story time" with us, learning to read will be as natural for them as learning to walk and talk.As their reading skills improve over the years, our children will still benefit from our reading aloud to them and helping them to choose good stories that match their reading level and interests.Without our involvement, chances are that our children will not grow into adults who love reading and who respect the value of the printed word. And it is so important that we initiate our efforts to encourage reading in the early months of life because encouraging older children and teenagers to read is far more difficult.How else can we raise our children to be better readers?We must be patient, listen to their innocent questions, and pay attention to their funny comments. It helps to remember that answering our children's questions is one of the best ways we can help them to discover the wide world around them.We must also limit their television watching, video (and other games) playing, and even the time that they spend on the computer so as to increase their reading time. It is a fact that many children struggle with reading problems because of the many distractions in their lives. And, if we identify reading problems in our children, we must not give up on them - we must try to find the cause of the problem. Other potential sources are poor language development, and vision and hearing problems.It is also important to have a variety of books at home, and to utilize the library's wealth of reading materials. Access to good and diverse stories encourages a love for reading.We are the best examples for our children; they follow what we do more so than what we say, so if we want them to love reading, we need first to read ourselves. We must remember too that it is important to keep encouraging them, no matter how long or how much effort it takes. Insha'Allah, our efforts will lead to their success.