A child’s love of learning begins when the parents read out loud to their child. The reason being that a child who is read to has better chances of enjoying reading and will also want to learn to read himself. When the child has become zealous for reading, he will be able to enjoy reading and learning.

Education psychologist for Kumon Math and Reading Centers Dr. Andrea Pastorok believes that by reading aloud the brain gets stimulated and it works as a base to development of literacy.  It has also been seen through studies, that a student has more chances of getting academic qualifications, when he reads more. This also makes him better at reading and a child’s love of learning begins from here. 

There are a few tips suggested by Dr. Pastorok to help reading aloud enjoyable and more interesting for children:

• Star reading aloud to the child from the time you can. In fact it helps babies develop sagacity for rhythm and language.

• You also have to help kids acquire the art of listening and this will come slowly. You must read very slowly so that the child is able to draw mental pictures of what the story he is listening.  A child’s love of learning begins for the child in this way.

• Children are also able to enhance their creativity and imagination with loud reading. The illustrations on the books also help the child to appreciate art.

• You can give a gap if the chapter you are reading is very long for the child to take in the story. 

• It will help if you use a lot of expressions while reading and if you can, alter your voice and tone to make it suitable for the character you are portraying in the story.

• Don’t go for very descriptive stories till the child is able to be attentive, use his imagination and vocabulary and is able to manage it.

• Most restless kids may not be able to sit and hear you for long and you can give them colors and paper to keep them busy as they hear the story.

• Talk about things which are read, as this will promote curiosity in the child. You must answer their questions patiently.

• Have a daily reading time for the child, when he spend some time reading by himself   on his or her own as a child’s love of learning begins with these habits in place.

Dr. Pastorok has a more than thirty years of experience with a doctorate in educational psychology and a degree in counseling psychology. She is an educational specialist with Kumon Math and Reading Centers and has been working with children. A child’s love of learning begins when parents support them.