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Too Late to Love Reading?
Teaching Your Preteen the Joy of Books By Gwen Morrison
As our children get closer to their teenage years, reading can often take a backseat to other enticing social activities. Face it, even though they know intellectually the important role that reading plays in their academic success, they can always find something better to do than crack open a new novel. But, there might just be something parents can do about that.
"When a mom reads to her young child, that child associates reading with a pleasant experience," says Raymond Huntington, chairman and founder of Huntington Learning Center in Oradell, N.J. "It helps build their attention span and creates a love for reading."
Parents who introduce books to their children at an early age are giving them a head start in one of the most important aspects of their education.
"I have always read to my children," says Joan Andrews of Atlanta, Ga. "We had our quiet time at the end of the day every day when they were young. As they got older, they began reading the classics back to me; they were so proud when they started sounding out the words."
"Children that are 9 to 10 years old enter the 'world of distractions,'" says Huntington. "With after-school activities, team sports, dances, television, video games, computer time, etc., this leads to less time for reading."
Huntington stresses that this is the time that parents need to try to make reading fun again so their children will make time for it.
"Make it fun and interesting again," says Huntington. "If your preteen saw the Harry Potter movie, have her read the book. If he is interested in baseball, have him read a sports biography."