Instilling the Love of Learning by Reading

Starting in infancy, when your child is home with you, you are able to devote so much one-on-one time to them and with them.  They learn that they are important; they learn that they have something to contribute to you.

I feel important when another adult takes the time to talk with me and focus on what I have to say; it is not different with children.

They relish the focus of a parent. The bond created is life-long. There are no other children to distract you from them (if it’s your first child), and even if you have other children, the sibling attention struggle is nothing compared to that of one adult in a room taking care of 10-12 children in child care centers. (Home daycares have a lower ratio.)  Also, siblings know they are on the ‘same team,  so to speak, despite the rivalry that shows at times.

When your children are home, you can start ‘teaching’ with their interest and expand the exploration far beyond what a curriculum guide would direct.

Lessons (aka areas of interest) can reach for depth as well.  There is no ‘curriculum guide’ for SAHMs.  This means your teaching at home can span and dive into as many topics and depths of study as you and your child desire.

When I was teaching, the children whose mothers stayed home were more ready to learn.  Many of their basic skills were ‘developing’ to ‘secure’ (knowledge of the alphabet, writing their name, counting, one-to-one-correspondence, taking turns, patience) at three years old.

I was teaching 4 year olds to read sight words rather than to cut paper, sing the ‘ABCs’ and point to a number when you say it (one-to-one correspondence) because their parents had taught them skills and lessons at home.  They followed the interests and skill levels of their children to explore as wide and deep into a subject as the child’s attention and cognitive ability allowed.

Most likely your research will involve reading about the topic of study, or item of interest. Your child may sit on your lap, or cuddle next to you on the couch.

Think of this association:  If reading stems from his/her interest, and reading a book involves the security and comfort of mom’s (or dad’s) lap, then books will be related to physical relaxation AND intellectual stimulation.

Once children realize that reading can open up knowledge, and be comforting, learning becomes a ‘love’ or a ‘want’ in a good way.  Forever your child will relate reading to fun and interesting times and not to forceful, stressful feelings.

Read to your children at an early age.

I started reading to each of my children the day we got home from the hospital. We were not reading or looking at a book for many minutes, just a few here and there in between feedings and naps.

My children truly love books.

Reading sparks interest and increases depth of knowledge teaching the joy of finding out what they do not yet know. When reading becomes a desire, there is increased capacity for learning.  You will have a little researcher before he/she even enters elementary school!

Read to your child: instill the love of learning.

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