Stimulating books get kids revved up to read

mr mistry · Thu Sep 09, 2010 7:57 pm

I think that part of the reason its hard to get kids to read is because schools do tend to tackle reading as a chore, and also because reading a book seems more tedious than being brainwashed by TV.

I worry a lot about if and when I have kids, how to steer them in the write direction and away from such mind manipulating stuff like the visual cancer box (the TV).

Here are some thoughts I had:
Find out what they watch on TV, and try to find books or reading material based on that, for example if they watch films about crime or horror, get them the auto biography of Tony Blair. Or if you catch them watching the borrowers, get them the book!

Another idea mite be to ease them in to wanting to read by getting them audio books, that way they can just sit there and read them just like they would just sit there and watch TV.

Yes I agree with you that less TV is beneficial for everyone, I would have my rant about TV, but people might look at me funny.

froglipz · Thu Sep 09, 2010 11:48 pm

TV can be a culprit, especially when it is sooo easy to turn on the tube and get something else done while your little one actually stays in about one spot and doesn't get into too much trouble for a bit...

Having some definite time off from the TV will make a transition into books easier, and finding books with the same themes or characters as they watch on TV also.

READ TO YOUR CHILDREN! start when they are too little to understand. An infant will not get a sense of what is going on, but will still "listen" to the sound of your voice, and it is impossible to tell exactly the day when reading becomes comprehensible to them. When they are little, you can read whatever you are reading out loud. (Maybe not if it is too adult themed) but the paper, magazines, novels, non fiction whatever, and as their comprehension goes up, the books you read aloud to them can begin to fit more with their tastes.

have lots and lots of books to choose from, and not just story books, but also non fiction (dinosaurs, frogs, history, spaceships) so they have lots to choose from. Garage sales are a GREAT and inexpensive way to boost your home library.

mr mistry · Fri Sep 10, 2010 8:48 am

Yep that's a great point, of course, read to your kids at a young age.

As you said, at first, they might not understand what you're reading, but if you read to them every night, I'm sure they would pick up things like, your tone of voice changing, you're presentation of characters etc

Also, I think when they do start developing there vocabulary, I believe they would relate words they have heard in a book, to its surrounding words, and make sense of it that way.

I no a lot of people would say things like “don't be ridiculous, kids don't understand, there too young”. Well children are not as stupid as most adults make them out to be, even from there first days of living, everything they pick up, here, touch, whatever, it all matters, and it matters much more than if you read a book to a 16 year old.

I no one farther to be who reads the newspaper to his unborn child every morning, whilst in his/her mothers wound. “what a nut case” I hear you say. Really? Are you sure?

reader2121 · Sat Sep 25, 2010 11:32 am

Rule by example...

If you read, your partner reads, then...your child is most likely to read because behavior is modified. If you simply place a book into a child's hands they're most likely to interpret this as punishment.

froglipz · Sat Sep 25, 2010 12:42 pm

You are definitely right about reading by example, I think it depends on HOW you put the book in their hands though, my Aunt Pat used to give me books that were treasures to her, books that she had loved as a child, or books that she knew other people had loved. Being given a treasure like that, I couldn't wait to read it (of course, I read everything anyway, books, cereal boxes, instruction manuals, the dictionary...)

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