Just like a lot of folks out there, I read a lot. I read when I’m bored. I read when I’m not bored. I read to while away time. I read to feed my mind. I read to satisfy my curiosity. I read just for the fun of it.
And if there’s no book or magazine or newspaper available to read, I read writings on people’s shirts, on walls, billboards, signboards, even the ingredients listed on an empty gum wrapper. I read when I’m having trouble falling asleep.
Image courtesy of Phaitoon / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
And when I find a story very compelling, I read until the wee hours of the morning, or until my eyes get so heavy there’s no other route to take but put the book down and close my eyes and sleep.
Yes, I read a lot, remember a lot and forget a lot as well, which in my opinion, is how my mind’s limited storage capacity achieves overall balance. (Sorry, but I had to laugh at limited storage capacity because it somehow felt like my mind was just the size of a saucepan, which in some cases, it is. And yes, I would love an upgrade if one is available.)
It runs in the family?
This trait I have passed on to my children, Kurt, the youngest, most especially. On his birthdays, I would ask what gift he wanted to receive, and he would ask for either a book or a robot. During Christmases, I would ask the kids to write down three things on their Christmas wish list, and sure enough, a book is one of them.
On our occasional family trips to the mall, our mall tour wouldn’t be complete if we don’t pass by a bookstore to check out the books on sale.
And this, as a parent, pleases me immensely.
Start them young
As a young full-time mother back then, the moment the kids, then babies, learned to hold things in their hands, I started getting them very colorful books to look at and play with. And everyday, as the years went by, I would read to them, and everyday, they wouldn’t sleep until the reading time was over.
Soon, I started teaching them the ABC. Kurt was only two years old when he mastered the alphabet, and at three, he was already reading three-syllable words, and then sentences, and then paragraphs.
Now at six, he loves reading Oh, Mateo! by Grace Chong, Bob the Builder and Handy Manny books and science books with colorful illustrations. Last week, I stumbled upon him hard at work on his write-anything-you-fancy notebook doing some practice writing.
He was writing lines from one of the books he already read, even doing his own comic strip version.
Months back, he started reading a meant-for-kids version of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, but after a few chapters, for some reason, he lost interest. The book format probably wasn’t very enticing for a kid his age. Or he was perhaps too young for a classic.
But I know in time, he’ll get back to it when he’s ready for it.
Why is reading important for children?
Well, first off, the more they read, the more they become good at reading. And we all know that reading is essential for learning. Their language skills get developed. Some of their questions get answered, and they develop longer attention spans.
As a parent, I understand it’s important that I wisely choose the books that I buy for my children as books also shape their beliefs and how they perceive the world.
To encourage them to read more, I let them choose their own books. Kurt likes to draw, and he mostly chooses books with lots of drawings.
I know this reading habit is going to take my children further in life. But for now, I am content to just sit down and relax and watch from afar and see for myself how reading is going to help mold them into the people they are destined to become one day.
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I am a certified book worm! 🙂 I believe in reading as a powerful tool to success too and I agree that children be taught how to love reading, which is why I encourage my kids to read too.. 😀 I read to my children as well, letting them fall asleep to the sound of my voice, I think that’s why both my children are articulate and spoke earlier than most kids.. 😛
I love your article, it’s informative and personal at the same time, I’m glad to have come across it. 🙂 Happy Blogging! 🙂
Hey, Ane, thanks for dropping by and for the kind words, too. You’re right, children should really be encouraged to read, especially now that there’s so much for them to do other than read. 😀
Oh I love reading!! I regret I didn’t read a lot when I was a kid. It’s true it runs in the family. Although my dad reads a lot, he didn’t really practice it on us.
@ Christina, thanks for dropping by. Kids copy what they see. Your dad reads a lot, no wonder you read a lot, too! 😀