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Page 8 THE VILLADOM TIMES I & IV • April 30, 2014 How to foster a love of reading in children Today’s parents know it is not always easy to instill a love of reading in children. Whether they are watching television, dab- bling with their smartphones, toying with their tablets, or engaging in social media, youngsters now have more distractions than ever before. It is no surprise that many youngsters may not be enthusiastic about abandoning their gadgets in exchange for curling up with a good book, but instilling a love of reading in kids early on can pay a lifetime of dividends. Children learn at a much faster pace during their first six years than at any other time in their lives, and the right kind of stimulation during these years can provide the foundation for future learning. In addi- tion, reading at an early age can inspire a child’s creativity and imagination. Though many parents can recognize these benefits, that recognition does not make it easier to get kids to embrace reading. No two kids are alike, so parents might need to employ different strategies to get each of their kids to embrace reading. The following are a handful of ways parents can foster a love of reading in their youngsters. Embrace their hobbies. When encourag- ing kids to read, parents may find it easier to get them to pick up a book if that book’s subject matter pertains to a favorite hobby or interest. A seven-year-old with a passion for baseball will likely be more inclined to read an age-appropriate novel about Amer- ica’s pastime than a book about fishing. Use youngsters’ enthusiasm about a given hobby or interest to lay the foundation for a love of reading. Do not limit reading to books. Books are not the only reading materials that can foster a love of reading in kids. Local news- papers and magazines have sparked many kids’ initial foray into reading, and such source materials can be just as inspiring as novels or short stories. Magazines made for youngsters give kids something they can start and finish reading in the same day. Children might want to read the sports page or check the arts and entertainment sec- tions. Parents should encourage such explo- ration, even if it means leaving novels on the bookshelf for the time being. Read to youngsters. Another way to foster a love of reading in youngsters is to read to them every day. Many young kids just learning to read may be discouraged if their reading skills are not progressing rapidly. Reading to kids every day can inspire them to work harder at reading so they can be just as good at reading as Mom and Dad. Discuss reading materials with your children. Many people enjoy talking about books they have read as much as they enjoy reading the books, and kids are no differ- ent. Parents who want their youngsters to embrace reading can initiate discussions about what their kids are reading, dis- cussing the plot of novels, or the details of newspaper or magazine articles kids read. Ask them what they like and dislike about a book or ask for a recap of a story they read in the newspaper or an article they read in a magazine. Extend the reading experience. After they have finished a novel, adults often find it enjoyable to watch films based on that novel. Doing so extends the reading experi- ence and gives readers a chance to see if their interpretations of a story were similar or different from someone else’s. Kids also enjoy such extensions, so reward them by taking them to the movies to see the film version of a favorite book or to a museum that is displaying an exhibit that is relevant to a book a youngster just read. Though their youngsters may have many distractions at their disposal, there are still many ways for parents to foster a love of reading in their children.