Literacy is a skill that is made up of two basic abilities that every human being should learn: reading and writing. These two skills are very essential for anyone that desires to succeed in life.
Reading and writing are two of the ways we communicate with the world. This is how we learn and manipulate our language so we can interact with the people around us. Additionally, it helps us influence the world to make it a little bit safe for us to navigate.
These reasons are enough to encourage your children to learn literacy skills. Generally, literacy is the basic requirement for them to function effectively in the world.
But kids are tough to teach, you say. Well, if you start them young, things should be a lot easier. As soon as possible, encourage your children to read by reading to them. Studies show that parents who frequently read raise kids who love to read.
Help your children develop a love for books and reading because that’s how they become literate. Books are where they learn words and their meaning; it helps them learn to communicate.
A child’s willingness to read on his own will help them perform tremendously in school. All the knowledge in the world is contained in books and other reading materials, physical and online. Although they have teachers and tutors, they must develop a love for learning on their own.
Aside from these benefits, reading will bring you closer to your child.
There are ways to read properly and maximize its effects on kids:
- Express the emotions in the book; use gestures and facial expressions
- Vary your voice according to the characters
- Use sound effects for more fun
- Adjust your voice tone according to the event in the story and the emotion of the characters
- Incorporate pauses, especially once the child learns to repeat after you so they can practice pronouncing the words and hear themselves speak
- Relate the stories to real-life situations
- Discuss the images in the book and help the child express his thoughts and insights about them (EQ is important)
It’s never too early or too late to be literate. Be an example to your children and they will follow your lead.
