I have loved to read to my niece ever since she was a toddler. She loved to curl up in my lap and stare at the colorful pictures as I read to her from books about princesses, or fairies, or puppies. But now that she is a little older, she has a new favorite pastime: she loves to read to me. As she slowly traces her fingers over the words, her eyes light up, and she is filled with a sense of pride and accomplishment. Such is the magic of reading. If you are concerned about teaching your child to learn how to read, don't panic. There are some basic tools you can use to provide your children with the best learning experience possible.



If You Are A Parent:

*Above all, it is essential that you read to your children. In fact, any person who is important to your children should make it a habit to read to them whenever it is possible. This will teach your children that reading is important to everyone that they look up to.

*Before you go on a family vacation, bring home some reading material about the places you will be going and the things you will be seeing. This will be an exciting opportunity for the children to connect with what they experience when they visit the places they have already read about.

*Be a role model by teaching your children that language is a gift to humanity. Show them that communication and words are priceless, and teach them that books are the doorways to knowledge and wisdom.

*Make sure your children go to the library whenever possible. Let them have the honor of selecting a book to check out for themselves to teach them how to respect items that they are borrowing —- and to teach them that books are enjoyable and fun. When they have an interest in a specific topic, such as cars or flowers, encourage that interest by talking to them about these topics.

If You Are A Teacher:

*Monitor the progress of each of your students as closely as possible. Ensure that you keep a log or diary of their progress so you can assess which areas need more work. Remember that you do know your students' abilities very well, and use this knowledge to decide how fast to progress through the lessons.

*Make sure that you have a genuine understanding of the processes involved in reading, including how words and sentences are formed, how letters and sounds relate, and how paragraphs connect to one another.

*Be certain that your students understand that reading is for enjoyment as well as for learning facts and information. Be sure to read fiction as well as nonfiction to the children.

*Keep in mind that textbooks can sometimes become repetitive and tedious, so it is helpful to enhance your lessons with books other than the assigned textbooks.

If You Are A Student:

*Enhance your cognitive abilities by reading as many books as you can get your hands on. Books can make you feel happiness,sadness, anger, humor, and grief. They can help you to see things from another person's perspective, enabling you to develop compassion for fellow human beings. They can teach you things about yourself that you never would have known otherwise.

*Most importantly, do not be discouraged as you experience difficulties when you learn how to read. Remember that books are a way to travel the world without ever leaving your home.