Introducing the reading habit to children
My son is well into 3 now and I was starting to think of how to make reading appealing to him. He enjoys looking at and being read stories from books which is a relief given how much my wife and I love reading. It would be a good thing if the little guy takes up to reading as a hobby, activity and a learning tool to enrich his life. And just as I was wondering how and when to introduce the reading habit, I came across a great article by famed author James Patterson on kid reading habits. The author makes some excellent points. Some of them that stand out to me are how boys and girls approach reading and how to tweak one's (parent) plan appropriately. The other point of letting kids read what they want instead of making them read what you (the adult) wants is also very important.Growing up, I don't ever remember my dad censoring my books. I happened upon a lot of authors much earlier than my peers but I was not told to keep pace with the rest or read suitable content for the ages. I was allowed to read what I wanted when I wanted. While the framework of age appropriate content is most important, not all kids consume text at the same pace and parents will have to be always on top of the reading process to make sure there is enough to meaningfully stimulate the kid's requirements. I was fortunate in that aspect that I had access to wonderful libraries that gave me a wide choice of material to read. Much of what I am today is directly due to my reading habits and I would want my son to head down the same path.The Patterson article made me hunt for some good reading resources and here are some I found to have some value. There are also recommendations for age-appropriate material for kids from 0-8 years.http://dropeverythingandread.com/http://www.guysread.com/http://www.oprah.com/packages/kid-reading-list.htmlhttp://www.readkiddoread.com/great-illustrated-booksUnlike a lot of other hobbies and sports where the kid chooses to pick it up or not, I believe that the reading habit is imperative for a child to develop a broad sense of knowledge and understanding of the world around us. As parents or teachers, if you have more resources or ideas to share, please do so.