Ways for Promoting Literacy and Love for Reading in Kids.

 Ways for Promoting Literacy and Love for Reading in Kids.

Are you a parent and you don't know how to promote literacy and love for reading? Has your child ever developed the  problem of reading ? Don't worry. 

Certainly, promoting literacy and love for reading in kids is a wonderful way to set and prepare them for lifetime of learning and enjoyment. I have prepared various tips that can help your kid to develop love for literacy and reading

1.Start early.

Begin to read to your child as early as from infant,even if the kid doesn't understand the wording,but they can enjoy the sounds and rhythms and tone of your voice. You may wonder how possible is that,but keep on reading for him or her. Just have a positive mind for your kid even if she has not developed fully. By doing so you create love for reading.

2. Create a Reading Routine.

Ensure that you stick to your reading schedule. You should have a daily reading routine such as bedtime stories,this will broaden your baby's mind and makes reading a habit.

3. Be a role model in reading

Children often emulate or copy their parents behavior. You should try and read books, magazines, newspapers infront of your children. They will be motivated and become eager to know how to read on those journals.

Don't ever deny the kid the chance even to look at the pictures inside the books or Newspaper,because if you rebuke them , they will develop negative attitudes towards reading 

4. Read A loud.

Ensure that you read a loud to your kids,even after they start reading on their own . Also allow them to read  loud so that they can have the following benefits:

• Helps in building vocabulary.
• Improves comprehension and active listening.
• Reduces stress and makes them happy.
• It improves working memory.

5. Build a Home Library

Ensure  that your home has a variety of age appropriate reading books.The library should contain books like Sound and Read,My first Book to Read,My first Sound to Read,from pre-school up to University levels. You can also take your kids to community libraries or the National Libraries to read more books.

6. Join a Reading Program.

As a parent you should search and know the community that have reading programs and events for kids. For example the kid can join various clubs for reading in the society . Even some churches have the the programs for children participating in the competition of reading from the scriptures. They are told to open a certain chapter and a verse and the first one to get is being rewarded. This will create curiosity for children to read more.

7. Ask Questions

Give the child time to read a book and then ask the questions. Either you can ask them to narrate what they have read,characters or their favourite parts. Through asking questions makes them to be more keen and develop more concentration when reading a certain story. It also helps them to comprehend and develop critical thinking.

8. Let them choose.

Allow your kid to choose or select books that interest them. Even if it's not what you would  like to choose, their enthusiasm for the topic is more important. Do not ever.111 discourage them for the books they have chosen. Just encourage them to read and contemplate what is in the book. Respect their reading choices,even if they want to reread the same books ,just allow them and don't be harsh to them.

9. Limit Screen Time

Most of the kids nowadays are fond of looking at the screen so much.They can mean to watch their favourite movies of various series, either of cartoons and forget to read. You should set strict rules and boundaries when to watch the screen. Be encouraging the kid to read by setting reasonable limits on screen time,so that they have time for books.

10. Make it Fun.

You should employ funny voices and be humorous and comedic. If it's a story of a dog and a cat,just where and be like a dog or a cat and start reading for them. They will never forget about the stories and they will develop the interest of reading the books.

12. Celebrate Achievements. Whenever a baby makes a milestone in reading books,just appreciate them. Give them appraisal awards even by congratulating them or even promise to buy them their favourite toys or items,this will accelerate their reading habits. Positive reinforcement encourages reading . Always avoid small criticism even if they haven't achieved what you needed. By supporting them and encouraging them,gives them hope to work hard.

13. Support their Curiosity.

Most of the kids are curious and they keep on discovering and asking new things about certain areas like .Why am I a boy or a girl,who is God and who created me.You can read for them books and explain to them so that they can easily understand. Take time to look for answers in the books and they will develop and will like reading.

14. Visit Author Events.

If possible look for the authors of the books or attend author's events or books signing to show the real people behind the stories.

Conclusion

Promoting literacy and love for reading starts with you as a parent. Always remember to encourage your child to read by building a home library, supporting their curiosity,reading in their presence. 

Remember to share,comment and like. You can also add some tips on building literacy and love for reading.

Spending time with your kids.

How do you normally spend your time with kids whether during the holidays, weekends,weekdays,after and before school?. I know most of you get trouble and tantrums from kids especially when they are young and you wish you find yourself a place to go and have some rest.

But there's no option to that  because you're the parent,the guardian that can take care of them. Even if you quarrel, you beat them you close yourself in a room to avoid all kinds of noise from them ,at the end you are the one to who end up dressing them, bathing them cooking for them. So you have to organize yourself and give yourself hope that one day you will be settled.

The following are the ways on how to spend time with them to avoid alot of dramas in the house.

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Playing

Kids like playing moreso when they are at home. You can organize for them various playing activities like,racing around the compound,playing football,rope skipping,singing,dancing, reading books competition, memorizing Bible verses, reciting poems, playing darts, Chess, skirting and many other activities.

If you engage them with these activities, am sure you will enjoy your stay at home instead of your house becoming  a boredom. I know there are kids who are chaotic even if you try to involve them in various activities,they tend to be distractive,ever destroying thing in the house. They create shambles and heck in the room.

Their way of disciplining them is to involve them in more activities, setting strict rules and giving rewards and praising them and this can help out.

Setting rules

You should set thorough rules in the house that should be adhered to by everyone child in the house. If there are teens in the house try to tell them the time they should be in the house. If it's before 5:30pm they should be at home and whoever who goes beyond that , he/she knows that what to get in terms of discipline. So if they know the rules and you adhere to them ,they will be eventually be keen and they will be in their toes not to go against them.

If it's young kids, set some boundaries that there's no fighting in the house,no scolding others,no use of a busive or offensive langauge. If one tries to do that, the discipline will follow.

Giving rewards

Whenever a kid or your child does good reward him/her,because if you praise next round the notorious one will also change their bad behaviours.

I know most of you will be against this method because it will be wastage of resources. You can buy your kids presents like good story books, writing materials, playing items that can attract other children to be good. 

Be flexible

Try to be like kids. Most of the kids like parents who like to be like them. Sometimes they can start a joke and they want you to join. Or they want to play with them or help them to do their homework. Don't ever shout at them ,scold them instead join them a little bit this would give them the morale of doing whatever they were doing .In this being flexible,you can do the following :

Having daily routine activities 

The  children know each or they see the activities their parents do each day. If you give them a chance to practice, they can do marvellous and excellent. The following activities can be done by then:

1.Cooking together. You can show your kids if they are at certain age on how to make meals like cutting vegetables,making tea or coffee, rolling the chapatis,cooking ugali and many other meals

2.  Washing clothes. Children love playing with water. Whenever when you are washing clothes, make sure you assign your kids some work like,washing their handkerchiefs,their underwear these can make them busy and they can't disturb you anymore and you will have a smooth day.

3. Mopping or cleaning the house. I know most of parents moreso mother's they don't want their kids to touch water or pass near where she is mopping, because this can make them to fall down and break their backbones. But try to engage them whereby you can squeeze the mopper and make sure it doesn't have much water that can make to fall down. If you do this am sure you will make your kids to be responsible.

4.Gardening. If you can involve them in gardening the flowers, vegetables, even watering them it can reduce stress in the house. Assign each child to plant fruits and make sure they take care of them until they bear fruits.

5.Arranging the rooms or clothes. Sometimes try to make their room untidy and assign them to make it tidy. Let each child arrange his/her clothes or spread her bed but under supervision. I mean under supervision, you direct them in a polite way and if they make a mistake and you rectify them, they will essence of your corrections and they will follow sooth.

Be attentive

Just bear attention to your kids. Most of parents nowdays are being married by phones. You find a kid has something to tell you or she wants you to show her for example homework. Instead of listening to your kid, you turn away the kid without helping him/her. 

Make sure your phone should not distract you from taking care of your kids. The soap opera, Afrosinema,and zeeword should not be your first priority in the house, but instead be attentive to your kids. 

Most of the parents have sorted to seek how to bring up their kids through the internet, whereby they have sorted to fast food,leaving kids to spend more time on TV's not even bothering to see what their kids are watching. You find a mother or a dad telling her kid to go and watch TV because she doesn't want disturbance they end up spoiling kids who become addictive to tv.

Make  sure whatever they are watching it's educative and doesn't go against child right.

Children sometimes they are troublesome in the house but if you involve them and try  helping them to discover their various talents instead of sitting and watching in educative movies. 

Being in the house make sure you ensure that your kids don't get tire but they should be vigorous and curious to develop positive skills in life that can help them to apply in their whole life.

I request to live a comment and share and you are allowed to add more tips on how to spend time with your kids.