Choosing Books for Children

As parents, we want our children to learn to read and write at an early age, but if children are pushed to learn reading and writing before their developmental stage, it does them no good. To help children come to love reading, you can read to them every day. Reading every day develops children's imagination, their sense of humour, and their thinking and memory skills. It also gives you a chance to spend time with your child and to share an activity together.

While they are babies you can show them picture books, and as they grow you can introduce them to storybooks. Choosing books that match children's experiences and interests increases their interest in reading. After a trip by boat, train or plane, you can read them books about boats, trains or planes. When choosing books, you might take care not to read fairy tales before the age of five, because at that age children are trying to make sense of reality. Imaginary creatures, symbols of good and evil, and monsters can leave children confused. It is better to read children realistic stories. When choosing books, you can make good use of ones featuring animals and ones that introduce forests, the world, art, music, science and history. I would also advise you to steer clear of fairy tales that pay no regard to equality between men and women, that carry gender roles, and in which women are portrayed as weak.

When children see their parents reading, they grow to love reading more themselves. Studies have found that "children whose parents are keen readers become good readers themselves" (Jackson, 1977). This happens because children take their parents as role models and imitate them.