A reading parent, a reading child, a reading nation!-Part 2

“Children are made readers on the laps of their parents”, Emilie Buchwald. From this quotation we realize the central role parents have in turning their children into successful readers. As a parent there are lots of opportunities you can offer to your child to become a successful reader. You can inspire your young reader to become a great leader! The tips below offer some fun ways you can help your child become a happy and confident reader. In this article I will focus on the role of parents and the empirical strategies that parents can use to help their children become successfully readers. A child’s success as a reader begins much earlier than the first day of school. Reading, and a love for reading, begins at home. It’s also important to know that children are turned successful readers “on laps of their parents…” So, parents should engage their children in books before they start school. Telling stories and reading short story books for toddlers can help a child develop love for reading and books at an earliest stage of life. Since children have a shorter concentration span, it’s important to know that when you are reading for your child or telling him/her a story “keep it short and simple”. Read it bits by bits but make it a habit and do it several times. Also parents should take time to listen to their children’s questions and answers. Children have strong opinions and interesting ideas about the world. When reading with them encourage your child to tell you what he or she thinks. By doing that you’ll build their language skills which are necessary and essential for successful readers. In addition parents should know that reading with a very young child is primarily about building positive experiences with books, not finishing every book you start. So one of the best practices for building this experience is trying different story books at different times for shorter periods and not finishing assignments! There are various strategies parents can use to make their children love reading and books. On top of the already mentioned above, here is a list of more tips; take a book with you every time your child has to wait for long such as in hospital, encourage your child to re-read their favorite books, repeated reading helps children to read more quickly and accurately, take control of the television and other technology fall offs, buy books for your children, read for your child as he/she reads for you. As parents, the value that we attach to books and reading will also impact our children either negatively or positively later in their lives. At this point I would like to ask a rhetorical question. As a father or a mother how often have you bought a book as a gift for your child? As a father or a mother how often have you come back from a trip and the first present to your child is a book? How often have you taken your daughter or son to a bookshop and told them to pick interesting book/books of their choice? All in all, like in other many aspects of life parents have the central role in inculcating positive attitudes into their children when it comes to books and reading. The value and importance parents attach to books and reading, the more the children interact with books in their homes the better readers they become as adults. The author is an Educationist and the founder of Rwanda Book Development Initiative.mugisteve@yahoo.com