Helping Your Child Become a Good Reader

In one of our recent articles, we discussed 4 ways parents can prepare their children for the digital economy. In the article, we encouraged parents to engage school’s children, learn from the Finnish Education Model, organize career sessions on

In this article, we would be discussing how to help your child become a good reader.

Reading is one of the most important life skills we can help our children to develop. It is why Laura Bush once remarked, “As parents, the most important thing we can do is read to our children early and often. Reading is the path to success in school and life. When children learn to love books, they learn to love learning.” More so important because of the popular maxim that readers are leaders: reading helps our children develop a broader perspective about life, enhance their communication skills, and develop practical wisdom to live through life.

Below are 3 ways to help a child become a good reader:

1. Read Together: Reading books with their children is one of the most important things that parents can do to help their children become readers. For a little child, a parent could start off by reading a book to him or her for a set-aside period of the day and for a given time period, say 20 minutes of reading out loud. Experts have recommended that while a child is still a baby, practicing reading out loud to them should be part of a parent’s daily activity in quiet time. As they grow older and could read on their own, we should set a time for time to read. However, this would be best done when we, ourselves, also have something to read.

2. Visit The Public Library, Bookshop, and Book Activities: Visiting the library together could help a child develop an interest in books. This has to be an intentional effort of showing them around and talking to them about the importance of reading. Aside from hearing it from you, you could engage the librarian or the bookshop owners to have a short dialogue with your child about the importance of reading. Asides from this, attending a book event where they hear people share their experiences with books they have read and how it has changed some aspects of their lives can be particularly inspiring too. This kind of early exposure would spark their interest and stay with them for long: after all, what is learned at the cradle lasts till the grave.

3. Ask For Summary: After the dedicated period, your child has spent reading, you should ask them for what they have read. This habit would help them transition from flipping through the pages to actually paying attention to what they are reading as they know they would share it with you afterward. It has been proven that those who teach others what they know reinforce the knowledge of such things in them. In the context of your child, allowing them to summarize to you would further make them understand what they have read and anticipate sharing it with you the next time.

An important thing to note along the way is that your child might begin to align toward certain book genres – do allow them but be actively involved to ensure it is one that is helping them cultivate the right values. In addition, this preference for certain books should be balanced with other books that are aimed at teaching them specific life skills. For example, if your child develops a liking for fiction, do allow them. However, if part of your plan is to have them read religious books or financial books, do get them those ones too and help them create a schedule around how to manage it. While we understand that not all children might like reading, we do believe it is a skill that can be cultivated through patience, encouragement, and love – and this would serve the child for all the days of their lives.

Finally, parents should understand that we cannot give what we do not have. Helping children to cultivate reading habits involves that a parent should have a reading habit too. When we talk the talk, we should walk the walk, too.

This summer, Edusko is partnering with Dulux to host Nigerian families at the maiden edition of the Dulux Art Fest. The fest has been created for families to bond, have massive fun and ignite their children’s passion for creativity through Art. 25 Toddlers along with their families will win amazing prizes through a sip & paint challenge under the most exciting atmosphere. The event will witness lots of fun and exciting activities.

One family will walk away with N1 million worth of prizes while many will go home with exciting consolation prizes. Click here to learn more.