Getting Kids To Pick Up a Book

Reading a bedtime story for your child is a tradition that exceeds the time of interconnection. Not only does their love to read, but also can play a vital role in their long -term success.

“By the age of three, the brain growth is 85%,” says Melissa Tigis, Vice president of Strategic Initiatives at Cottage Door Press. “So, waiting for even school to start the love of reading is too late.”

Early reading leads to academic success, improving mental health, and longevity. But Tigis adds that these are not the only benefits. “There is growth in vocabulary, stimulating creativity and imagination …. children who have been read from birth tend to be exposed to a million words more than children who have not been read from birth.”

Reading skills development became more important than ever, as the recently released nation report card showed a decrease in reading efficiency. The decrease in students ’reading shows to the lowest level in history. Some teachers indicate an increase in the screen time, the shortening of attention periods, and the lower reading of the longest content as contributing factors. “The number of people read loudly for their children and children who read for fun has decreased significantly,” says Tegis.

To help enhance the love of reading, Tigis suggests the beginning of birth and the development of reading habits throughout early childhood. “In the first two years, again, it is only related to interacting with them and reading them so that they can hear this language. After three or four years, we give them some independent time to read, and we give them books at their level, allowing them to go to the library and choose what they want to read.”

As they get old, it may become difficult to get them to leave screens and capture a book. But Tigis reminds parents that all screens are not equal to a lost time in front of the screen, “There are ways to use technology in a useful way. And you know that these children are more part of this. As you know, a technically advanced generation. We have again, to meet with them where they are present and find the tools that help bridge the gap between the old and the new.”

The best way to raise the reader? Be one yourself. Tigges encourage parents to put behavior models and remember that any reading is learning. Her advice: “Don’t worry much about what they read, but only what they read,”