The reader reads to himself. And he needs time to read. If the adult wants the child to become a reader, he or she needs to be given the opportunity to read on his or her own. A few years ago, writer John Werner named the basic rules of time for reading.
1. The child has the right to decide which book he or she chooses and how fast the book will be read, and the book should correspond to the level of the student. No teacher can assess in advance which book exactly meets the intellectual and emotional needs of a particular student.
2. No teacher can assess in advance which book exactly meets the intellectual and emotional needs of a particular student. Therefore, books will have to be tried a lot.
3. you should not let the reading go on its own and ask it at home. Not in every family reading is part of the way of life. TV, DVD and computer games - with all their advantages - seriously reduced the desire of children to acquire the habit of long and thoughtful reading, especially in those families where they previously read little.
4. The teacher should sometimes refrain from making any comments about the book. If there is a disagreement with the teacher, the child may lose any desire to read books, and in large classes, the teacher rarely has time to recognize such a problem in time. It also happens that children inherit their disgust for books from their previous teacher.
5. The teacher does not need to read all the books his students have chosen. If children only read what the teacher has ordered, they will have exactly the same tastes as the teacher, while they need to develop their own.
6. If a child is fond of low quality reading, this fact should be taken into account and try to solve the problem after school hours.
7. Many great writers from an early age read a variety of books, and the "dishes" in their "menu" were sometimes completely random.
8. A child needs to learn how to make decisions. Give him the right to refuse the book or, conversely, to accept it. This will make him more demanding than if the teacher told him which book is good and which is not.
Werner stresses that in childhood and adolescence it is necessary to read a lot and regularly, otherwise a real reader is unlikely to grow out of a child.
How often should children read on their own?
It is very good if students have time to read independently after class. Wise parents will soon realize that children are happy to read for themselves on weekends and holidays.
How long can a child read?
The answer is simple: let him read as long as he keeps his attention and interest and... a little bit more. There are, of course, other constraints. But, of course, the time to read depends on a variety of factors. Very young children cannot hold attention for long, and older children can. Children from reading families usually "ask" their own books, they are more diligent than their peers from unreading families. In well-equipped classrooms, with a well-established learning process, children will read longer than those who are not lucky enough to have a teacher (in which case reading is hindered by an installation) or are forced to study in an uncomfortable, unsuitable room (in which case reading will be hindered by the environment).
It is not necessary to wait for quick results if a new teacher comes to the school and teaches pupils who have never read independently before. They should be accustomed to reading gradually. For the first time it is possible to explain how the lessons will change and to read something to the children aloud at once. This always brings children closer together and adjusts them to a certain way. After reading aloud, children can choose their own book and read it themselves. First, you can set aside a small segment for independent reading, then gradually increase it. As soon as children get used to reading on their own, there is no need to read aloud for seed. Then you can dedicate other special time to reading aloud.
To be continued...