When it comes to reading, is your child a tortoise or a hare? Some little hares take;right;to;it,;poking
their;noses;into;books;with;gusto,;while
others tarry along the road to read-ing;and;fail;to;enjoy;it;at;all.;If;you;find
yourself fortunate enough to reside with
hares, this may prove redundant for you
. . . but most of us have at least one little
tortoise;lurking;in;our;homes,;and;for
them, this topic bears examination.
Giving our children gifts brings us plea-
sure, but no gift will yield as much lifelong
benefit;as;the;gift;of;a;love;for;reading.;We
know;that,;and;we;show;it;in;a;variety;of
ways.;We;give;books;for;special;occasions
such as birthdays or Christmas. We read
aloud to our children and families daily.
We demonstrate a love for reading by al-
ways;having;our;own;noses;in;books.;Yet,
that is not enough, or our little tortoises
would all be hares.
Some little ones require more:
•;They;need;to;be;able;to;picture;a;scene
in their minds, so when you begin a
story, have them close their eyes and
imagine what the day or scene or char-
acter;looked;like,;to;make;it;come;alive.
•;They;need;to;hunger;for;the;end;of;the
story, so stop right before the climax,
and;make;them;wait;for;it.;Tease;them
with tantalizing possibilities of what
the;ending;might;be,;and;then;finish
the story before bedtime, starting at
the beginning if time allows, and reading straight through to the end.
• They need to value books, so use
decorative stickers to create special
nameplates for their books. Show
them treasured books from your
By;Saralee;Rhoads
Struggling Readers
A Gift With
Lifelong;Benefits
Some of the best techniques require no money
and just a little snuggle time . . . .
