I remember as a little child seeing my father read till midnight with his glasses on. Lamps that makes use of kerosene were in use then if there was power failure and not the rechargeable lamps that are in existence today. Almost every time at midnight when I wake up to use the restroom, I see my dad reading. Although my dad is late, that image of him reading is not dead.

I am the fifth and last child of my parents and so whenever I am reading, be it for academics, entertainment or learning purposes, I am grateful that I have the habit of reading. When my dad died I found solace in books, my life was like the saying "Reading is dreaming with open eyes". Books took away the harsh reality of my father's untimely death.

The ability to read well is definitely critical to success in life. Reading is a skill that must be fostered from a child’s early beginnings. Once children begin to read, support is still needed to enable them reach their full capacity as readers. The reduction in reading amongst children is as a result of technological advancements that have brought about overall changes in family, social, and economic conditions. Poor reading habits takes place a lot amongst children and young people because reading is not seen as a relevant leisure activity as it does not form part of children’s social interaction and reading is viewed as a lonely pursuit and is not eye-catching when compared with interactive activity on the Internet.

Young people have a strong desire to spend more time with their friends than to remain at home reading. Some adults and children may enjoy television and films during their leisure time instead of reading. There is an unmatched rise in the price of books, while DVDs becomes more affordable.

Children with poor reading skills get low grades in school, are easily distracted and frustrated, have behavior issues , might dislike school, and sometimes fail in nurturing their potential to maturity stage. Children who possess poor reading habits have a greater chance of anti-social behavior such as violence, bullying, hacking computers, and even examination malpractices is said to have a correlation with poor reading habits. This does not mean that those with poor reading habits display such behavior; however, poor reading habits are connected to such behavioral patterns while good reading habits help develop a steady and constructive behavioral pattern.

Means By Which Parents and Teachers Can Help Develop Children's Love For Learning

As a child I was strongly encouraged to read more of my school books and little of entertaining books, but I had opportunities to read a whole lot of novels because my first 3 siblings had easy access to them and before I got to the age of nine, I had read James Hadley Chase, Danielle Steel, Sidney Sheldon, Agatha Christie, Sherlock Holmes, Michael Crichton, Jeffery Archer novels and so many others.

Some children might need a little push to enable them cultivate a good reading habit; the following means should help make reading fun.

Interactive Reading

Interactive books may have sound buttons and pull-out facts that will bring stories to life by children hearing a story being read out as they follow the words on the page.

Spice Things Up

There are a various books in stores that are allocated to different age ranges. Make use of pop-up books or other creative text that are published and if you read to your children you can give a dramatic effect by varying your tone of voice for continuity in their interest. Providing a mini-library in your child's bedroom may also motivate them to read more often.

Drama/Play

Children love acting and trying out various roles. If your children are reluctant to read then encouraging them to play a character from a fictional story with dialogue. It may help motivate them to read.

Expose Them To Variety of Books

Reading shouldn't be limited to regular stories. Children may also enjoy reading non-fiction books, encyclopaedias, newspapers focused on children. Comic books may also stimulate their reading interest.

Reading At Night

Reading books together with your child as part of a night-time routine will ensure that children associate reading with relaxation. Children can also point out any words they seem to be familiar with and read them out.

For those children who have not yet begun reading, asking questions about the story will help them familiarise themselves with story structures.

Introduce Them To The Local Library

Someone once said the library is a hospital for the mind.Your child being in the midst of other children who loves reading may be what triggers your child's love for reading.

Conclusion

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Books give a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything." ~Plato

As a reader the world belongs to you. It is said that a reader lives a thousand lives before he dies, the man who never reads lives only once. ✍

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