Celebrating our journey to Reading

Reading is a skill that we need in our journey to literacy, encouraging our kids to read at an early age will give them a head start in learning. However, it can be very challenging to get the little ones to sit still for a period of time. One way to get them to enjoy reading is by making it fun!

We started introducing books to our little one through story telling sessions where he can take a look at the pictures while mommy or daddy reads to him. After a while we moved on to interactive books which turned out to be great tools in getting our son into the reading habit. We let him pull or open flaps while reading the story to him and eventually he would pretend to tell the story by himself.

When he learned his ABCs and started schooling, we got him sticker books that have missing words in the story and have to be filled in by a sticker picture. He loves searching for the stickers, completing the story and reading the story all over again.

Another effective tool in making reading more fun is by attending special events or celebrations that honor the value of reading. The World Book Day or the International Day of the Book is one of the best celebrations that promote reading.

The usual activities during the event are story telling with costumes, book sale, games, exhibits, book sharing etc. The excitement of seeing the kids in World Book Day costumes for boys and girls is incomparable to seeing them read their favorite story out loud or play the part of a story book character. There are even parents who invest in children’s costume to encourage kids to participate in the events.