One of the most important skills your child can learn is reading. Besides counting, it is probably the first intellectual skill addressed in school systems. However, it is to your children’s advantage to give them a head start so that they are already beginning to read by the time they enter school. What advantages do children have when they start reading before they enter school, and how far should you go to teach your child to read?
While a five-year-old in kindergarten is certainly not expected to be able to pick up a Stephen King novel and read it, it’s a great idea to put your child in a position to be ahead of the average child in their reading ability. . . Progressing beyond The Cat in the Hat is certainly not frowned upon, although your child may get bored with kindergarten reading assignments. A good teacher for this age group recognizes that children are at different levels and adapts to the needs of each child.
By teaching your own child to read, you ensure that he or she receives personalized attention and a personalized curriculum, so to speak, so that progression can occur at the desired rate. You can also make sure your child finds it fun to read, which is important. If it’s not fun, they won’t want to do it! There are many educational benefits to be gained from the material that is also tremendously entertaining!
By learning to read early, children are prepared to pay more attention to other aspects of school, including learning social skills, teamwork, and other traits needed to be successful in everyday life. Getting a head start allows the child to progress further, so that later in life, the individual’s vocabulary is vast and far exceeds the reading and speaking ability of the average individual.
Educated people, especially those who can credit their success to the diligence of parents who were willing to take the time and teach them when they were children, have been known to make more progress in school, college, and the workplace. Often, because their knowledge is broadened by the range of topics they have read about, they are also more socially involved, with the ability to strike up conversations with others on a wide variety of topics in an intelligent and informed manner.
Starting your child off with the ability to read early is one way to get him on the right foot to begin the journey through school and life. The more you teach them, the less likely they are to struggle in the future and the more confident they will be in themselves and their abilities.