How to teach kids to read
Margaret Fuller once said, “Today a reader, tomorrow a leader." If you, as a parent, are thinking about how to teach kids to read- so that they have the key to unlock a better tomorrow- GetLitt! has the answer for you. Register now for our 2021 Reading Olympiad, and help your child discover the joys of reading and develop this essential skill.
Olympiad Exam Registration online
Registrations for our Winter Olympiad are underway! The Olympiad will happen in February 2021, and the last date of enrolment is January 15, 2021. Kids from grades II to VII can participate.
The registration fee is Rs 150, and with an additional fee of Rs 450, you can get access to 100 book reads from the GetLItt! e-Library for 90 days. GetLitt! e-Library currently hosts 450+ children’s book titles from leading publishers from across the world.
In case you wish to make your own arrangements for the physical copies of the book titles, you have the option of paying the registration fee only for the Reading Olympiad.
Participating in the Reading Olympiad will not only help your child to read to comprehend, but will also allow them to discover an exciting world of stories.
So, don’t wait for the Olympiad exam registration last date to pass – register now!
Are you wondering why you should register your kids for this Olympiad? Well, Because developing a love for reading is a gift for life. If you are a teacher, and looking up articles on how to teach kids to read- the Reading Olympiad may be the solution you are looking for.
GetLitt! Reading Olympiad- hear what experts have to say
Publishing Director, Tulika Books.
Getlitt! has been hosting a collection of Tulika's books since 2017. They have been coming up with innovative ideas for promoting the books. The nationwide Reading Olympiad is one of them which had very good response last year. We wish them all the best for the latest edition of their Reading Olympiad and for growing the community of young readers in India through their digital library.
How to teach kids to read? Enrol them for the Reading Olympiad
Developing the habit of reading is something every parent or teacher should pay attention to. If you want to know how to teach kids to read- you have to start by giving them access to books. And these should be books that have interesting illustrations and stories that are fun; which will hook them in. If you keep placing the same books before children repeatedly- they will not develop an interest in reading. What you need to do is provide the little explorers choice to try out new books.
We believe that children have to develop their reading skills if they want to do well in schools- but the benefits of reading go beyond performing well in schools.
Let us look at them.
1. Reading stimulates the brain
When we read, neurons in our brains engage in complex ways. MRI scans reveal that while reading, the brain’s activity increases. This is because reading engages different parts of the brain, it activates complex neuron activities and fires up the circuits in various ways. The more you read, the more circuits in the brain are activated and the more sophisticated they become.
Studies show that when the brain connectivity increases with reading, it leads to development of the parts of the brain that is in charge of movement and pain. So, not only does reading engage your mind, it also helps develop your body. (Source)
2. Reading increases empathy
Various studies show that reading helps children develop empathy. This is especially true for those who read stories or literary fiction. Psychologists say that introducing children to stories is probably the best way to teach reading skills to them.
These children learn to identify feelings and feel the emotions of others, which makes them more empathic. In the long run, this helps them become better communicators, because they are more tuned to non-verbal cues, and can interpret the social situations more successfully.
3. Reading books helps develop vocabulary and language skills better than the theoretical learning of reading skills
The more a child reads, the more words they add to their vocabulary. Reading books exposes them to different words- and over time, they amass a sizable vocabulary. In fact, children who read stories or books outside their studies have better vocabularies than those who strictly read for school work.
Not only does this help them become better writers, it also hones them into better conversationalists on wider topics.
4. Reading helps improve linguistic skills
When you read, you are trying to find the right pronunciations of new words. Reading aloud is one of the most important steps to teach a child to read and to discover new words. It is a great activity for kids if they want to improve their phonic skills. While reading, they can sound out words and gain a better understanding of letter sounds.
This has been proven to make children pick up a language faster. It also helps them to identify individual sounds better. This is called developing phonemic awareness- which is a skill that helps one identify and use phonemes.
Phonemes are the smallest components of sounds in a language; and the better a person can identify them, the more fluent they will be in that language.
Let us say you want to teach a child to read the word “cat”. It has three phonemes. When the child reading it can identify those three constituent sounds, they can read better.
5. Books- help with teaching reading comprehension strategies
Experts say that developing a child’s phonemic awareness helps develop reading comprehension skills. Moreover, when children read, they need to understand the meaning of the text as a whole, and visualize it in their minds. This helps them to comprehend the topic better.
6. Reading prevents cognitive decline in the long run
Studies show that when the brain is active, degeneration slows down. This is the reason experts recommend that people continue to read, solve puzzles, do crosswords and engage in games like chess because these activities keep the brain active and arrest cognitive decline.
So, if you teach kids to read and help them develop reading as a habit, it will help them to stay mentally agile.
7. Reading helps children express themselves creatively
Well, we all know that reading and writing go hand-in-hand. Good readers make for good writers. That is because they have a better vocabulary, can draw influences from a variety of sources and can express their thoughts in interesting ways.
The more a child reads, the wider and more creative their idea pool becomes. Not only can they write better, they can be inspired in a variety of creative ways. Just look around- you will find painters, singers, actors and other artists who are creative and draw inspiration from the literature that they read.
8. Reading acts as a stress-buster and keeps your kid happy
Last but not the least- the act of reading is a reward unto itself. When children develop a love for reading, they can get lost in their own wonderland. This helps reduce stress and anxiety. Studies show that reading can also lead to sound sleep- which is not only good for their mental health but also aids in their growth.
You can see that if you are able to get your child interested in reading, they will reap the benefits throughout their life. So, if you are wondering how to teach your child to read- GetLitt!’s reading programs are exactly what you need.
Enrol NowThe answer to "how to teach my child to read"?
Reading Olympiad is a perfect opportunity to help parents inculcate the habit of reading. The Olympiad format is the perfect nudge children need to tap into their fun & competitive spirit. It pushes them to read more, and in turn moves them forward on their reading skills.
GetLitt! Reading Olympiad (GRO) is for children reading in grades II to VII. Students from all school boards can participate, and they can do it from their homes from anywhere in India or globally. Our aim is to get children interested in reading, and help them discover award winning stories that will open up a new world for them.
How to teach reading skills? Get ‘em to read more
Reading is an essential skill, and you can only develop it via practice. So, if you want your child to improve their reading skills- signing them up for an Olympiad that entails reading a certain number of books while they earn fun badges and points is just the thing you need.
So if you are wondering how to teach kids to read- signing them up for this reading initiative is a good idea.
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The good thing about GRO is that here, children get to read some fantastic books. The reading Olympiad books list comprises award winning and interesting titles that are from a variety of genres. Even coronavirus gets a fun turn with “Zyrus the Virus” written by Zai Whitaker- and all our young budding scientists and doctors can enjoy this book that talks about a topic that has turned our life upside down.
How to teach someone to read? Bait them with knowledge
Children are curious by nature. They want to know anything and everything about the world around them. And if you can intrigue them through interesting stories- it will definitely get their attention.
Through stories, you can impart useful knowledge to children. They can read about the lives of people who shaped history, about science, the secret mechanics of nature and even get to know the world that lies beyond the ken.
For example, if your kid wants to know about real-life heroes, in our Reading Olympiad, they can read about the lives of people like astronaut Kalpana Chawla and hockey legend Dhyanchand.
Once they discover how much information they can discover while reading books, they will keep coming back for more.
How to teach a child to read? Open a new world for them
Because nothing gets a child interested in an activity like an adventure. Reading is that perfect adventure which helps them discover interesting stories.
For example, if your child is a nature lover, they will like Zai Whitaker’s book “Salim Mamoo and Me”.
It is about the life of India’s beloved birdman Salim Ali. Not only is it a great account of the celebrated ornithologist, but it is also a close look at the man himself, as viewed through the eyes of his beloved niece.
Animal lovers will be delighted to read award winning books like Ashok Rajagopalan’s Gajapati Kulapati series- about an elephant who always finds himself in trouble.
If you register for GRO, you will discover the joy of reading not just “Salim Mamoo and Me” and “Gajapati Kulapati” but many more many other wonderful books.
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How to teach reading comprehension? Catch ‘em young
The earlier your child develops the habit of reading, the better it will be for their language acquisition journey in higher grades. The earlier they start reading and the more they read, the better and faster they will develop their comprehension skills. And the faster their powers of comprehension, the faster they can read.
The Reading Olympiad is the best way to gauge their comprehension skills. In the Olympiad exam, the children will be required to answer questions based on:
Reading comprehension
Vocabulary
Book trivia
There will additionally be an Achiever’s Question for each book which will carry extra points.
For more details on the question format and marking pattern, check here.
The best books to teach reading- those that fire their imagination
When you place interesting books in front of your kid, their imagination gets stimulated. And if these imaginative tales are accompanied with colorful and attractive illustrations - it makes the experience even better!
Just place Caroline Fernandez’s “The Adventures of Grandmasaurus'' before a child. The title, along with the beautiful illustrations by Shannon O Toole will immediately hook them in and prompt them to read more. After all, how DID grandma become a half dinosaur?
Stories like these are imaginative, and prompt children to create their own. Who knows, after going through books like these, you child may decide to write their own story?
Books help kids understand the world and their place in it
As a child grows up, they try to make sense of the world around them. While trying to understand where they fit in, they also try to understand themselves and make sense of their own thoughts and emotions. Adolescence is that crucial time when children discover themselves and develop their worldview.
Reading not only helps them in this journey by aiding self-contemplation, but also helps them discover stories that speak to them. During adolescence, things can often feel overwhelming- but discovering relatable characters can convey that they are not alone.
Coming-of-age books like “Mayil will not be quiet” by Sowmya Rajendran can help kids discover who they are. Dealing with issues like gender stereotyping and popular culture, the book talks about important issues that children can relate to, and helps develop their own perspective on life. The book has received the Bal Sahitya Puraskar from the Sahitya Akademi in 2015, and is part of the GetLitt! Reading Olympiad.
The GetLitt! Reading Olympiad is the perfect place to inculcate the habit of reading. Our program is open for children from grades II to VII- which is the age where you can expose children to diverse stories.
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What do you get with GRO?
When children participate in the Reading Olympiad, they will also get a clearer understanding of their comprehension skills and vocabulary levels. Looking at their scores, parents and educators can discover areas where they need more attention and tweak their teaching strategy accordingly.
The Reading Olympiad is not just critical for individual participants, but even schools can participate. If you are an educator or art of the school management, and want your students to benefit from this initiative, contact us.
Once you have enrolled for the Reading Olympiad, the children can gain access to 100 books for 90 days. These are award winning, beautifully-illustrated books written by acclaimed authors.
Conclusion
So, if you want your students or children to develop the habit of reading, increase their knowhow and improve (and test) their comprehensive, linguistic and vocabulary levels- the GetLitt! Reading Olympiad is just what you need.
So hurry up and register TODAY!
Schools interested in participating can mail us at schools@getlitt.co
You can register your children directly at www.getlitt.co/ro/register