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Writing Strands Tips


Issue 36

September 2011

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Why Should Our Kids Read?    


Dear  ,

Cathy Canen

A mother recently asked me, "Why should I make my son read? He really doesn't want to so I don't make him."

 

How about it? Why should we make sure our kids read? Here are a few reasons:

 

1. Reading improves concentration and focus. It's an active mental process that engages your child's mind.

 

2. It improves a child's ability to grasp language, be it written or verbal.  

 

3. It helps your child become a better problem solver and analyzer.

 

4. It sparks creativity and imagination.

 

5. It increases a child's vocabulary building and language skills, modeling for them what good writing looks like.

 

6. Reading helps us understand ourselves better. We often understand our own reactions and emotions through those of the characters we meet in stories.

 

7. There's plenty of research that shows that readers stand out from their peers because of their improved cognitive abilities. To read some of that research, check out: http://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=readers+improved+cognitive+ability&hl=en&as_sdt=0&as_vis=1&oi=scholart

 

On a personal note, I liked how reading helped my kids explore new cultures and ideas that were foreign to them. This helped them develop empathy for people who were completely different from themselves, and for those whose values were different from theirs.

 

Finally, while some parents don't feel it's necessary to make their kids read, there's the other extreme as well; many parents of avid readers like to boast about how well-read their children are. But take note: the mother of the child who reads when he doesn't want to, or who reads just enough to complete his required reading also deserves praise. The playing field is equal between the child who reads voraciously without prodding and the child who reads by plain old grit and determination! Reading victories are worth celebrating wherever they are found.

 

Until next month,

Cathy

 

 

 

 

 

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