Pick Up a Book and Pick Up Better Habits!

Dec 10, 2009 • Early Learning, Middle School

One of the easiest ways to keep young minds active during breaks from school is by reading.

Reading books—in the old-fashioned, alone and quiet sense—does more than simply help to develop a strong vocabulary. Reading helps today’s media-saturated children learn how to unwind and slow down.

Spending quality time with a good book helps children develop skills that pay off in the classroom. Here’s how:

• Reading helps children learn how to be patient and how to focus. There is ramp-up time involved in reading books—sometimes, it can take two or three chapters to get hooked, which teaches perseverance and patience.
• Regular reading is one of the best-known ways to expand vocabulary and learn how to use words correctly, and in the right context.
• Reading teaches the importance of seeing connections and new meanings, which is vital to active learning.

Getting your child to unplug a video game and read a book isn’t always an easy task, but it can be done! Here are some tips:

• Read together as a family, even if it is a comic book.
• Let your child choose the book.
• Take turns reading paragraphs or chapters out loud.
• Discuss subjects such as characters and setting.
• Ask if children can relate a situation in a book to an experience that they’ve had.