Knowledge is a gift that parents can give their children from an early age.
Commemorative days such as Children’s Book Day and World Reading Day are a great reminder of the power that reading holds.
Pampers parenting expert Sr Yolanda Mpilo advises parents on how they can get their children to love reading way before they start school. According to Mpilo, there are great benefits that
come with starting children on reading at an early age.
“There isn’t a proper age to start teaching your children how to read.
“From birth, babies are developing new skills, including comprehension.
“However, around three years old, parents can start introducing the concept of reading, starting with something as simple as learning to say their name,” she said.
Teaching a child to read from an early age equips them for when they start their school adventure.
Reading stimulates early language development. Children are much likelier to succeed academically, as they already have the foundation of strong vocabulary skills.
“Reading is also brain-stimulating.
“The amount of time they spend concentrating on a book teaches them how to focus on things for a longer time. It helps increase their tolerance in paying attention,” she said.
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By reading, children are exposed to a variety of things about the world we live in – language, numbers and many other things.
Teaching them to read earlier in life, means you are allowing them to learn more about the world.
They gain a deeper understanding of their world
A challenge parents may face is how they get their children started on reading, without making them feel uncomfortable or self-conscious.
Learning to read is one of the most challenging skills a child will learn, so parents are required to be a little bit more patient and creative in this process.
Context
Understanding the context of what they are reading can be complex for children starting to learn.
Parents could start by teaching them their names, as it is easy and familiar.
This will help get them used to how letters look, the sound and feel.
By calling out the letters individually, they slowly understand that when letters are put together, they make up their name.
Blending
After understanding how each letter sounds, and then a complete word, parents can move on to teaching them how to blend words to form a sentence.
This will slowly help them make sense of what they read.
Building vocabulary
Building a vocab means you will have to introduce your child to more words they are not familiar with.
Simple texts and captions have proven helpful in this phase, encourage them to read more of these.
Writing
This is also vital to a child’s reading process.
You need to encourage them to write those sounds of letters mentioned above, this is called ‘encoding’ and works alongside the reading process.
Play I-Spy
There is a term called “environmental print”, which refers to the print that appears in signs, labels and logos. An example would be street signs and the M in McDonald’s seen at their restaurants.
Play a game of I-spy whenever you’re out with your child, this technique helps build a connection between letters and reading.
Make reading a family affair
Children like to take cues from their parents’ behaviour, often attempting to mimic their actions.
Parents can take advantage of this by picking up reading material while encouraging their child to do the same.
This is a positive re-enforcement of the act of reading.
Reading together also builds a special bonding time between parents and their children.
Parents should also take time to ask questions while reading a book with their children.
It’s not only a great way to encourage them to interact with the book, but it also positively affects their comprehension skills.
This will be a great skill to have developed by the time they start school.
“It’s important to remember that children have different temperaments, parents should exercise patience when teaching them to read.
“If a method or technique doesn’t work for a child, be flexible and explore alternative solutions.
“The idea is to make it fun and engaging for them,” added Mpilo.
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