Thirst for reading

Reading, we can never say it enough, makes it possible to advance the skills of children by leaps and bounds! And not only in French.

The simple fact of letting your baby hold a book, even upside down, and leafing through it a little awkwardly will eventually allow him to develop a curiosity for words, images, language and all the imagination that surrounds this educational activity and playful.

Reading is everywhere in our environment: at school, later at work, on the road, at restaurants, on television, now more and more in parks and everywhere else!

I keep repeating how much reading is an invaluable learning tool and that it is therefore essential to include it as often as possible in children's daily lives. So I thought I would give you some ideas for developing a positive relationship between your children and reading.

If you give importance to reading itself, then you should maintain the same discourse on the layout of your reading area. To initiate a good first contact with books, it is advantageous to create a comfortable, pleasant and peaceful environment, where relaxation and concentration can be expected. Create a relaxation area by placing cushions on the floor, hang a chair from the ceiling, install a rocking chair in the solarium or a mattress in the basement, add a comforting smell, good extra light to facilitate reading and It's in the pocket ! Prioritize a room away from the hubbub of the kitchen and common areas of the house so that the whole family can retire to a small haven when interest arises.

Encourage without obligation. Make reading a part of your daily routine and that of your child. If it is not on the schedule, it is generally the first activity "which takes the edge" when there is no time, whereas it should remain on the schedule if it is not a case of force major. Do not pressure if your child does not want to read one night this week, you will only create a negative anchor. He will read out of compulsion, not out of desire.

This brings me to remind you not to discriminate on the type of book chosen. A novel is just as educational reading as a comic book or a fashion magazine. The important thing is to develop a taste for punctuation, for the mental images that reading provides and a desire to learn.

Of course, it must be understood that it is necessary to make a pre-selection of books (and magazines) that correspond to the child's reading skills. If the readings available to him have a vocabulary that is too advanced for him, you will not be more advanced and the child will certainly tend to be discouraged by his difficulty in correctly reading the words and understanding the meaning of what is being described. For toddlers, I encourage you to favor books with pictures in order to maintain their attention and amazement for the designs and colors they contain. You can also prioritize books with themes that are part of their interests. Also (and most importantly) make sure the books are within reach of the child.

Do you feel boredom and loss of motivation after a few weeks of practice? Do not hesitate to rotate the available books (do not make all the books available at the same time) and to visit your local library to consult the new books and participate in the counting hours or the first readings of with your older children.

My last little advice: avoid reading in bed. I explain all this in a short video published soon on www.fleurbleue.ca

Good reading !