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This essay will aim to address the question, how to instill the love of reading in children? I will discuss how both parents and teachers can assist children in learning to love reading, and how if they work together, they can create children with a passion for reading. Furthermore, I will discuss the importance of reading with regards to language progression as well as knowledge acquisition in children. A love of reading should be instilled in children from a very young age, even young children will enjoy listening to stories which are read to them. Children should grow up surrounded by books, both at home and in the classroom. Parents should take time everyday to read to their children, if parents find that they have extremely busy schedules they can also purchase books which have pre-recorded audio tapes where the child can read along while listening to the book. If the child is not yet able to read properly this method will give them the opportunity to improve their reading ability in a safe comfortable environment, allowing them to discover the wonderful world of books. In the early years of school, it is especially important to give children time to read along with their teacher in the classroom, this exposes the students to reading if they have not had much exposure at home. Teachers should be extremely sensitive when reading with children and should not force students who are not yet comfortable with reading out loud to participate in front of the entire class. Since this can lead to the student feeling embarrassed and shutting down, they may even give up on themselves completely and not want to read, in circumstances like this the teacher can assist the child by providing them with reading material that is on their level as well as reading simple passages along with the class daily. Both teachers and parents can play games with their children where they learn new words without even realizing it. In addition, asking children to identify certain words in a story can keep them interested as well as learning new words. Reading with your children creates a fun atmosphere and they start wanting to join in on the reading. When teachers allow children to read in class and make a game out of it, it triggers the idea of how books can create a new world or even allow children to have a discussion on the topics covered in the books which interest them, allowing them to share information and gain further knowledge. Children should be encouraged to read wherever possible, whether it be worksheets given in other subjects, menus at restaurants, articles from magazines or newspapers, the names of movies or TV series, or any opportunity that arises in daily life. There are many factors that can influence how a child perceives reading, if a child is reluctant to read it may be because they are not able to read at a certain level so giving them easier stories or assistance may be necessary. The child may not enjoy the content covered in certain books, in this situation children can be encouraged to read by providing them with stories which interest them or even something that they want to find out more about; for example if a child is very interested in dogs then giving them stories about dogs or even brief non-fictional facts where they can learn more about dogs can encourage them to read. Furthermore, if children are not exposed to something, they are unable to enjoy it, therefore it is very important to give children access to a variety of books, thus creating a habit of reading. Children who read are exposed to new and different words; therefore, improving and broadening their vocabulary. They are then able to use these words in general conversation as well as increasing their overall academic performance at school, an improved understanding of their schoolwork as well as events happening throughout the world. Thus, leading them towards becoming informed adults. In conclusion it is important to begin reading with children as young as possible as this will plant a seed for them to continue reading throughout their lives. Both teachers and parents play an important role in encouraging children to read by making it an enjoyable experience for children, this will help encourage children to have a passion for reading.
