Discovering the joy of reading

We all know that repetition is important in music. In fact this has been an area of much scientific inquiry. Why do we love the repetition of music and words in songs? Why is it that repetition allows us to participate in music?

Psychologists posit that rituals or repeated tasks, even something mundane like washing a utensil is calming. It helps us concentrate. A sense of comfort that we get from the familiarity of an action. And therein lies your answer to secure your patience when your toddler asks you to read the same story for the 128th time. Getting your toddler to read is going to be more about you than the toddler. It is going to be as much about finding your patience as it will be about understanding what works at this age and stage.

So, let us look at a few other bastions of the loves-to-read kind of kid. A good way to get your toddler to scramble away when they see a book in your hand is to pick one beyond their age. It is easy to succumb to the compulsion of staying ahead. The social media is full of pictures posted by proud parents, young kids holding books that even an adult would find boring! Yes, the peer pressure can get to you. But resist. Because you may end up doing more harm than good.

So, how do you select books for your 3-year-old? The task is not complicated. Focus on what excites them and that should hold you in good stead. Kids like to pick out favourite books on their own. Allow them some freedom in bookstores and libraries. Let them spend some time to discover. Allow them to roam freely, to look through books. Infact, I would say book browsing is a habit that will hold them good even as an adult — it will give them the joy of chance finds and happy discoveries.

Kids this age prefer large clear, realistic pictures. So go for books with good visuals. Books that allow them to engage more such as flap books are great hits with this age. The other runaway successes tend to be books with rhyming stories. Turning 4, the child will benefit from longer stories, but still with a lot of pictures to hold interest. At this stage explore stories about things they can relate to, such as going to school or playing with friends.

All these are simple guidelines but make for an effective way to get your child started on a love that could last a lifetime.