READING MATERIALS
15 Reading Materials That Aren't Books.
We think you'll love our books, but even if you don't like reading books here are 15 other sources of reading materials that will exercise your mind!
We think you'll love our books, but even if you don't like reading books here are 15 other sources of reading materials that will exercise your mind!
- Magazines. There are lots of great magazines for kids, both at the newsstand and available for digital downloads.
- Comics. Don't discount the power of comics to hook kids on reading. They are a great way to teach your children about the back and forth of dialog.
- Manuals. For kids who want to know how things work, manuals for things like cars, lawnmowers, and appliances can be great options -- and they build vocabulary, too.
- Newspapers. If you are worried about exposing your child to news articles about crime or traumatic events, choose a local community newspaper or give your child a specific section to read that you've already vetted.
- Poetry. Grab a collection of poems or sit down and write some with your children. Rhyming is an important skill for reading, and having your children write poems on their own is a great way to build that skill.
- Travel Brochures. They can plan fantasy vacations and learn a bit of geography, too.
- Encyclopedias. Did you read encyclopedias as a kid? Your child might have to read them online, but that's OK, too. Start with a subject and see where it takes the two of you.
- Sports Programs. Hold on to the programs that you are given at sporting events and let your kids read and reread about their favorite athletes and teams.
- Catalogs. Many catalogs now are so much more than just products and quick descriptions. Have your child make wish lists and fit in a little writing, too.
- Recipes. Cook with your kids and take turns reading the ingredients and instructions. This is a great example of real-life reading for kids of any age.
- Dictionaries. You might be hard pressed to convince your children to read a dictionary from cover to cover, but give them a challenge like: "Find a new word that starts with 'r'" or "Find a word with 13 letters" and they will end up doing a lot of reading with a plain old dictionary.
- Play Scripts. Explore what it might be like to be on screen or stage by reading a few scripts together. You can even put on a play after reading them.
- Atlases. Atlases are packed with a wealth of reference information. Not only can your child map out a great adventure, but she can also read about land formations, population, and more.
- Road Signs. Kids start recognizing familiar signs at an early age. Keep that knowledge of environmental print going by playing sign games on road trips.
- Books They Write! Nothing is as powerful as reading their own writing. Encourage your child to write, and his reading will get a boost, too.
WHY READING IS SO IMPORTANT!
Here are some of the main benefits of reading and why reading is important and why children and adults should read often and widely.
Source: Why Reading Matters — and What To Do About It: A CEO Action Plan To Support Improved U.S. Literacy Rates Here are 10 more good reasons to read! 1. Kids who read often and widely get better at it. This is pretty much just common sense. After all, practice makes perfect in almost everything we humans do and reading is no different from anything else. 2. Reading exercises our brains. Reading is a much more complex task for the human brain than, say, watching TV is. Reading strengthens brain connections and actually builds new connections. 3. Reading improves concentration. Again, this is a bit of a no-brainer. Children have to sit still and quietly so they can focus on the story when they’re reading. If they read regularly, they develop the ability to do this for longer periods. 4. Reading teaches children about the world around them. Through reading, children learn about people, places and events outside their own experience. They are exposed to ways of life, ideas and beliefs about the world which may be different from those which surround them.This learning is important for its own sake however it also builds a store of background knowledge which helps younger children learn to read confidently and well. 5. Reading improves a child’s vocabulary and leads to more highly-developed language skills. This is because children learn new words as they read but also because they unconsciously absorb information as they read about things like how to structure sentences and how to use words and language effectively. 6. Reading develops a child’s imagination. This is because when we read our brains translate the descriptions we read of people, places and things into pictures. When we’re engaged in a story, we’re also imagining how the characters are feeling. We use our own experiences to imagine how we would feel in the same situation. 7. Reading helps kids develop empathy. This is something I’ve only recently realised but it makes sense. As my fifteen-year-old son said to me when we were discussing it: ‘Of course it does because you’re identifying with the character in the story so you’re feeling what he’s feeling.’ 8. Children who read do better at school. And they don’t just do better at subjects like reading, English and history. They do better at all subjects and they do better all the way through school. 9. Reading is a great form of entertainment. A paperback book or an e-reader like the Amazon Kindle doesn’t take up much space so you can take it anywhere and you’ll never be lonely or bored if you have a book in your bag. You can read while waiting in a queue, while waiting for a friend who’s running late or during a flight delay at an airport. 10. Reading relaxes the body and calms the mind. This is an important point because these days we seem to have forgotten how to relax and especially how to be silent. The constant movement, flashing lights and noise which bombard our senses when we’re watching TV, looking at a computer or playing an electronic game are actually quite stressful for our brains. When we read, we read in silence and the black print on a white page is much less stressful for our eyes and brains. So there you have it – the Top 10 benefits of reading! Source: http://www.best-books-for-kids.com/benefits-of-reading.html Additional articles and Studies on the importance of reading: Reading for pleasure puts children ahead in the classroom, study finds The advantage your kids get from having books in your home What Kids want in Books |