Wise parents know that children need free time to actively enjoy childhood and friends, but they need quiet, relaxing activities, too. Reading for enjoyment really fills the bill. When children read (or are read to) for fun, they build many skills at the same time.
If you are a good reader, you probably know that you read a phrase or a sentence (or even more) at a time. Reading for enjoyment helps children and adults to read this way, which is also faster. People who read faster usually have good comprehension; they understand and remember what is read.
You may have noticed that poor readers (who don`t enjoy reading and who don`t usually read for fun) read slowly, one word or two at a time. What many people don`t know is that reading comprehension is usually better when people read FASTER, not slower.
When people read by phrases and sentences, they are reading and understanding a COMPLETE THOUGHT at a time. When people read one word at a time, they often forget what the sentence was about by the time they get to the end of it, and have to read the sentence again. This makes reading a chore and a bore, so they never read for âfun.â Ironically, reading for fun would actually help them read faster and with better comprehension.
You will find many ideas for helping your children be better readers in the âTipsâ brochure, but the most important thing you can do is READ. âRâ Read aloud with children every day. âEâ Enjoy what you read. âAâ and âDâ Always Discuss many topics with your child; talking, reading and writing are all literacy skills
Evelyn Petersen’s nationally syndicated parenting column is carried in over 200 newspapers twice each week. As a family/parenting consultant, early childhood educator, Head Start consultant, and host of a series of parent training audio and video tapes, Ms. Petersen employs an approach of providing hands-on, nuts and bolts advice to parents across the country.Evelyn Petersen’s nationally syndicated parenting column is carried in over 200 newspapers twice each week. As a family/parenting consultant, early childhood educator, Head Start consultant, and host of a series of parent training audio and video tapes, Ms. Petersen employs an approach of providing hands-on, nuts and bolts advice to parents across the country. You can read more from Evelyn at her web site: www.askevelyn.com
