Raise a Reader

September 28th is Raise

a Reader Day in Canada

Happy Thursday everyone! Because today is officially Raise- A- Reader Day in Canada I thought it appropriate to blog on the subject of literacy. I was shocked to find that inadequate literacy levels are linked to low employment and may even be the cause of higher crime rates . The CanWest Raise-A-Reader program is designed to increase awareness and raise money and resources to support family literacy programs but there is also a lot that we can do as parents to get our children not only to read but also to love reading just for the sheer joy of it.

We all know how important reading is for our kids but not all children love reading. There are many distractions such as video games and television that a child may find much more enjoyable than curling up with a good book. The good news is that parents can do a lot to get their kids interested in reading. Let your kids see you reading for pleasure and also make it a point to read to your kids on a regular basis. Studies show that the more a child reads the better he/ she will get at reading and the more they will enjoy reading. Children who rarely read do not improve on their reading skills and consequently struggle at reading so tend to avoid it.

If you set aside a special time for reading and make it a family affair such as half an hour before bed or after dinner. It only takes as little as ten minutes a day to improve your child’s reading skills and help him to develop a love for reading. You can also try to limit the time your kids watch television or play video games to make time for reading but do not make the mistake of using these activities as a reward for reading or as a punishment for not reading.

Happy Reading and look for upcoming articles in our KidsGoals newsletter to help you get your kids to love reading.
Monicka