It's a good idea to teach your children to love books while they are young. In most cases this will ensure that they cultivate a love for the written word. During the past few years, children's literature has grown in popularity and these books are selling in large numbers. Most parents want to give their children a good foundation in learning, and a love of reading is a great way to get them interested.
Children's books come in all shapes and sizes. You can always find something that would interest your child. Usually young kinds are more attracted towards the illustrations in the books rather than the story, bright and easy to understand books are a good way to start.
For babies and toddlers you'll want to choose books based on the pictures. Children that are aged three to six will look for other features in the books that interest them. They not only want to look at the pictures, they also want to be entertained. They also want to associate the words that you're speaking with the pictures in front of them. They'll want to follow along with you as you read the book out loud to them. When left on their own to play, children of this age will read back, from memory, what you have previously read to them.
Children like to find examples of their everyday life in their stories and such books are the most popular ones. When buying books for the children aged 4-6 years it is important to have bright pictures and interesting stories.
School children have more requirements from their books. They need books which besides being interesting provide them with opportunity to learn and improve their reading ability. At the same time these books must be easy for them to follow and on popular topics such as adventures, mysteries, and fantasy.
As the children continue to develop and are becoming good readers, they will like stories a bit longer and are about subjects that entertain them. Great examples of this are the Harry Potter books. They have been among the best selling children's literature in history.
In time they will like books that are about a main character that can solve problems and mysteries with their own minds. These stories help children to grow in the areas of self-control and personal power. Usually they aren't thinking about this while they're reading, but the positive notions contained in a well written story will benefit their self-growth.
Each child is different so there isn't a formula for buying the right book. Keep trying different types until you learn what they prefer. There will still be times when they don't react just as you expected. They will love some books and not care at all for others.
A good idea is to taker your children along while selecting books for them. Let them pick out the ones they like. This will given them an impetus to read according to their likes and dislikes. You will however, need to supervise to ensure that they select books matching their level. |
