SEASON'S READINGS

It's that time of the year again when family is knitted together with love, the perfect time to share things like books together as a family.

To foster a love for reading in children- you need to be a good role model, sneak ten minutes of reading into your day. Take a story time break and regale your children with stories you heard as a child- this will give you and your children ample bonding time.

Christmas is filled with stories, you can illustrate one with your child/children all you need are some crayons and plenty of paper.

You and your child can read aloud recipe's as you prepare to bake your Christmas cake.

Red, Green and Gold are the colours of the season, make a Christmas decoration using these colours/ paint a picture using these colours.

If you have any family traditions- take out time to explain them to your children- talking is an integral aspect of getting to read especially for toddlers and preschoolers/

Buy books as gifts for your children, let them read about our different cultures celebrate Christmas. Books will open up a new perspective on the season for your child.

Encourage your child to be creative and let he/she tell/paint/write you a christmas story, you can either record the story and play it for your family next Christmas or you can frame the painting/bind the writing and share it with your family next Christmas.


The season is all about love- make it a memorable one for your children.

BEDTIME ROUTINES AND READING REALLY MATTER

How many Nigerian Parents read to their children at bed time?

There's no substitute for Parents modeling a pattern of reading for their children. It generates a genuine love for reading in the children.

Read the article below culled from the booktrust website.

Research published by University College London (UCL) shows that children often suffer behavioural difficulties if they have erratic bedtimes - displaying symptoms similar to jetlag.



The research was based on analysis of data from more than 10,000 children collected by the Millennium Cohort Study, with bedtimes noted at ages three, five and seven, and information on behaviour collected from parents and teachers. Three-year-olds were the most likely to have erratic bedtimes, with one in five children going to bed at varying times.



The study found that those youngsters who experienced erratic bedtimes throughout childhood displayed progressively worse behaviour. But those children who went from varying bedtimes aged three or five to a regular bedtime by age seven displayed a notable improvement in behaviour. Children whose bedtimes were irregular or who went to bed after 9pm came from more socially disadvantaged backgrounds and they were more likely to have poor routines such as skipping breakfast, not being read to daily, having a TV in their bedroom and spending longer in front of a TV than children with earlier bedtimes.

PICTURE BOOKS AID READING

Children learn to read after being captivated by pictures, Sir Quentin Blake has said, as he argues no-one should be compelled to try heavy texts too young.

Sir Quentin, the former children's laureate, said he had been put off reading temporarily after attempting to tackle challenging books too young.

He added children enthralled by pictures would then naturally move on to Dickens at an "appropriate age".

I am all for Sir Quentin Blake's comment- heavy texts are a total put off for some children, they can scare young children from reading while pictures ignite an hunger that only reading can satisfy.

Support Picture books today to aid Early Child Learning Development.

1 MAJOR REASON WHY YOUR CHILD IS NOT READING.

People complain that there's a decline in reading, the article below captures one of the major reasons, succinctly! I bid you to please read.



A Mother's Gift
---------------

I've written editorials around holidays before, but never on
Mother's Day. Since I am not a parent, Mother's Day generally
means remembering to send a card and/or flowers to my
mother-in-law. Rarely do I reflect upon what it means to me
"personally."

This year, however, as my mother-in-law is turning 90, we began a
family discussion of her many contributions to her family over
almost a century. One of the topics my husband raised was the ways
in which she encouraged his love of history and archaeology. And
that got me thinking about what may have been one of the best gifts
my mother gave me: The love of reading.

In fact, my mother was the person who TAUGHT me how to read. I'm
not sure why she decided that this shouldn't be left in the hands
of mere schools, but when I was about five, she set in with
flashcards and the first "Dick and Jane" book. When I'd mastered
that, she was able to get two more "Dick and Jane" books from the
school, and from there... well, from there, I don't suppose I ever
looked back.

But my love of reading didn't come from flashcards. (In fact, I
think I pretty much hated the flashcards!) It came from being a
part of a family where books were considered not just a normal but
an indispensable part of life. We had books everywhere, in every
room -- including the bathroom, where, perhaps unwisely, my father
actually installed a built-in bookshelf. This was stocked with a
selection of lurid mysteries and even more lurid true-crime tales.
I, of course, was forbidden to read such inappropriate material,
and of COURSE I obeyed... (Actually, I soon learned to go in
clutching an "authorized" book, e.g., something like Dr. Dolittle,
which would quickly be set aside as I perused the more intriguing
fare on the shelves. And I wonder why I gravitate toward shows
like "Forensic Files" today...)

Everyone in the family read, and read constantly. As a child, my
greatest desire was to be initiated into this fellowship of
readers. I knew what was IN books, because my mother read to me.
That was nice, but I wanted to be able to read to myself, to follow
a tale at my own pace and not have to wait until someone was free
to read the next chapter.

When I was four or so, I caused much amusement when I located a
discarded mystery novel in a box of books in the attic. It caught
my eye because it had something on the cover that I recognized: A
rasp, a tool my father used often. (The book was Philip
MacDonald's "The Rasp," which I managed to locate and actually READ
some 40 years later...) This became "my" book, and I carried it
with me everywhere. It was just the right size to fit in a
bathrobe pocket, this being the day when pocket books really did
fit into pockets. Carrying a book around like everyone else truly
made me feel like one of the "big people."

The point was, my family didn't turn me into a reader by insisting
that I read, or forcing books on me, or telling me what a good idea
it was to read or how much I'd enjoy it or that it was "good for
me." My family turned me into a reader by, simply, reading. I
watched the avidness with which everyone around me devoured books,
the joy they experienced in getting new books for Christmas and
birthdays, the pleasure they obviously took in being able to settle
down in a comfortable chair in the evening and read. (We had a
weekend cabin with no TV, which may have helped...) This was
clearly a major source of family fun, and I wanted to be able to
enjoy it too.

Today, we are given endless, gloomy statistics and factoids about
the decline of reading in children. We are also given endless
explanations for why fewer and fewer children are interested in
reading, with television and video games generally topping the
list. Meanwhile, child "experts" of every ilk weigh in on what
children ought to read, want to read, shouldn't read, won't read,
and so forth. I can recall reading many "expert" articles in
writing magazines declaring that "today's" children (which,
admittedly, are yesterday's children now) were too "sophisticated"
for fantasy stories. Today's children knew that magic wasn't real,
so of course they couldn't possibly be interested in reading about
something so "fanciful" -- give them stories of divorce and blended
families and diversity and bullies and all those other issues that
are so much more "relevant" than fairies and wizards. Then "Harry
Potter" came along and... wow, suddenly children started reading
again! (It must have been the dysfunctional families, diversity,
and bullies that did the trick...)

Well, I've already pointed out that I don't have children, so I do
not claim to be an expert of any sort. But I DO remember my own
childhood, and I do have a theory. I suspect that one reason
children's reading levels are declining is the same reason that ALL
reading levels are declining: More and more adults consider
themselves "too busy" to read. Even adults who love reading may
feel that they don't have much time for it anymore. Our time is
increasingly consumed by all the things we "must" do to keep up --
checking e-mail, surfing the web, catching up on the day's work
during the evening, getting ready for the next day's work. I
suspect that, for many parents, "reading" is a luxury that they
feel they can no longer afford.

Perhaps it's time to take a step back and start asking, not why
kids "don't read," but why kids do ANYTHING. One reason is to be
like Mom and Dad. When I was four and carrying around "The Rasp"
in my bathrobe pocket, that was my goal -- to be like everyone else
in the family. When I was five, my goal was to be able to share in
an activity that was clearly a major source of pleasure for
everyone else. By the time I hit the teen rebellion and wanted to
be NOTHING like Mom or Dad, it was too late; I simply showed my
rebellion by choosing DIFFERENT BOOKS.

The gift my mother gave me wasn't simply teaching me how to read.
A teacher would have done that, eventually. Her gift was teaching
me WHY to read. It was demonstrating that this was perhaps the
most wonderful way that one could spend one's time -- that I would
love reading because reading was something to be loved.

Perhaps, if more parents recall this lesson from their own
childhood, they'll find that reading time isn't an unaffordable
luxury, but an indispensable necessity. And, quite possibly, one
of the best gifts they can ever give.



Moira Allen is the editor of Writing-World.com (http://www.writing-world.com) and the author of more than 350 published articles. Her books on writing include Starting Your Career as a Freelance Writer, The Writer's Guide to Queries, Pitches and Proposals, and Writing to Win: The Colossal Guide to Writing Contests.
http://www.writing-world.com/coffee/coffee63.shtml

READING ACTIVITY CALENDAR- AGES 6-15

SHARE THE LOVE OF READING!

READING ACTIVITY CALENDAR- AGES 0-5

Pleaseeeeee- SHARE THE LOVE OF READING!

NOVEMBER READING ACTIVITY SHEET.

Bedtime Reading with Children Starting To Read by Themselves.

Sharing a story at bedtime is a chance for you and your child to relax and enjoy a special moment together. Children will benefit immensely if you read aloud with them, even once they have started to read themselves. They will learn new words that are beyond their reading ability and will love the time you spend with them. Try to read the books brought home from school and maybe borrow some from the library.

Make it something to look forward to – and remember to have fun!

What books should I choose?

• Share books with rhyme, rhythm and repetition – hearing rhyming words will encourage them to join in. Let a child say words out loud and leave space in the story for them to fill in.
• If your child brings a reading book home from school, encourage them to share their book with you first, so that you can help with any words they find difficult.
• Involve your child by letting them choose the book - don’t worry if you think it’s too young!
• You can sometimes limit the choice, so that you get a bit of variety too!
• Start to share exciting books with chapters – continue reading aloud even when they can read by themselves as this helps them learn new words.
• Children love to revisit stories they enjoyed when they were younger. This is a sure sign that they have enjoyed you reading aloud to them and they may have a go at reading some of them to you.

Where should we read?

• You don’t have to be in bed as long as you can cuddle up together. Being physically close is still important as children get older. Try to make sure there aren’t any distractions — best to switch off the TV.

How do I go about it?

• Share fiction books, poetry and books about things that excite them like trains, diggers, fairies. Point to the pictures and talk about them.
• You don’t always have to ‘read’ a book. Pictures are very important and help to tell the story.
• Point to the pictures and talk about them. Discussing the book encourages your child to become the story teller. Try asking questions like: ‘Can you tell me what happened to …’ ‘What do you think will happen next?’ ‘How do you think she feels about that?’ ‘Tell me what’s happening in this picture….’
• Let them ask questions - it’s a great way for children to learn to understand what’s happening in a story – an essential part of learning to read.

It’s great to relate a story to real life: ‘Do you remember when we saw a dog like that…?’

What else could I do?

• Try telling a story. Children love old classics like fairy tales, or you could make one up together.
• If a child keeps asking you to read the same book again and again, celebrate! You have a child who loves books and who is on the way to becoming an enthusiastic reader.

OCTOBER READING GUIDE

20 Ways to Encourage Reading

1. Scout for things your children might like to read. Use their interests and hobbies as starting points.
2. Leave all sorts of reading materials including books, magazines, and colorful catalogs in conspicuous places around your home.
3. Notice what attracts your children's attention, even if they only look at the pictures. Then build on that interest; read a short selection aloud, or simply bring home more information on the same subject.
4. Let your children see you reading for pleasure in your spare time.
5. Take your children to the library regularly. Explore the children's section together. Ask a librarian to suggest books and magazines your children might enjoy.
6. Present reading as an activity with a purpose; a way to gather useful information for, say, making paper airplanes, identifying a doll or stamp in your child's collection, or planning a family trip.
7. Encourage older children to read to their younger brothers and sisters. Older children enjoy showing off their skills to an admiring audience.
8. Play games that are reading-related. Check your closet for spelling games played with letter tiles or dice, or board games that require players to read spaces, cards, and directions.
9. Perhaps over dinner, while you're running errands, or in another informal setting, share your reactions to things you read, and encourage your children to do likewise.
10. Set aside a regular time for reading in your family, independent of schoolwork, the 20 minutes before lights out, just after dinner, or whatever fits into your household schedule. As little as 10 minutes of free reading a day can help improve your child's skills and habits.
11. Read aloud to your child, especially a child who is discouraged by his or her own poor reading skills. The pleasure of listening to you read, rather than struggling alone, may restore your child's initial enthusiasm for books and reading.
12. Encourage your child to read aloud to you an exciting passage in a book, an interesting tidbit in the newspaper, or a joke in a joke book. When children read aloud, don't feel they have to get every word right. Even good readers skip or mispronounce words now and then.
13. On gift-giving occasions, give books and magazines based on your child's current interests.
14. Set aside a special place for children to keep their own books.
15. Introduce the bookmark. Remind your youngster that you don't have to finish a book in one sitting; you can stop after a few pages, or a chapter, and pick up where you left off at another time. Don't try to persuade your child to finish a book he or she doesn't like. Recommend putting the book aside and trying another.
16. Treat your children to an evening of laughter and entertainment featuring books! Many children (parents, too) regard reading as a serious activity. A joke book, a story told in riddles, or a funny passage read aloud can reveal another side of reading.
17. Extend your child's positive reading experiences. For example, if your youngster enjoyed a book about dinosaurs, follow up with a visit to a natural history museum.
18. Offer other special incentives to encourage your child's reading. Allow your youngster to stay up an extra 15 minutes to finish a chapter; promise to take your child to see a movie after he or she has finished the book on which it was based; relieve your child of a regular chore to free up time for reading.
19. Limit your children's TV viewing in an effort to make time for other activities, such as reading. But never use TV as a reward for reading, or a punishment for not reading.
20. Not all reading takes place between the covers of a book. What about menus, road signs, food labels, and sheet music? Take advantage of countless spur-of-the-moment opportunities for reading during the course of your family's busy day.


Source: RIF Parent Guide.