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Too Late to Love Reading?
Teaching Your Preteen the Joy of Books By Gwen Morrison
Luke says it is important to encourage your child to read about what they like. "The more they read about what they like, the more they can read about the things they need to know," she says. "It is the old adage, 'Practice makes perfect' that applies here."
Andrews believes that it is just too easy for kids to find other ways to spend their time, especially with all the 'cool' computer games out there. "By setting aside time at the end of every day, I don't have to nag him to read," says Andrews. "And in the end, it is my son who is begging me to let him finish just one more chapter. He loves to read; he just gets too busy and forgets."
With all the choices available to children these days, reading is just another thing to do. Children need to remember the importance of reading, and it's up to us as parents to keep the spark flickering when so many other things seem to be in the way.
"Parents need to show the importance of reading for pleasure," says Huntington. "They can do this by demonstrating that they read for pleasure themselves. It can be a newspaper, magazine or a book."
Children learn by example: good and bad. To cultivate a love of reading in your child that lasts a lifetime, you must provide the example through your own actions. Make time for reading!