Guaranteed intelligence booster reading

There is one great way to boost your child's intelligence -- read to them. Time after time, studies show that school performance correlates with children's reading abilities.

Most kid’s love flicking through books as toddlers, looking at the pictures, but that thrill doesn't always stick. As kids grow older, toys or computers become more interesting and books can fall by the wayside. Yet the kids that perform best at school are those that enjoy reading merely for the fun of it. At O’Hana Preschool, we include storytelling multiple times over each day. We are also proud that our library is one of the most extensive of any preschool in Hanoi, perhaps even in Vietnam.

How to encourage your child to love reading ?

1. Read aloud to your child from the earliest age: And not just at bedtime. Buy board books and cloth books as some of your child's first toys. Create a nighttime ritual of connection in which you both associate love and cuddling with reading. Anytime either of you needs a break, grab a book and read to your child. Post tantrum, during lunch, after school, while you have your coffee on Sunday, any time can be book time.
2. Make a library at home:  If you do this by the time your child is two and she may well prefer reading to any other activity. Collect books that your child will enjoy but also look for books that contain illustrations of all kinds of kids and present all types of situations. And don’t just buy fairy tales – those books are often too moralistic for young children to really learn from. They also tend to have strong stereotyped images – particular of helpless girls.
3. Read even when it seems odd: If children are picky eaters, try reading to them during lunch or dinner to keep them sitting. Kids are much more likely to try the foods with the diversion of a book, than if you simply pressure them to keep eating.
4. Don't push your child to learn to read: He/she will read naturally once he develops the preliminary skills. Your goal is not to help him sound out words, but to encourage a love of books, both pictures and stories. If you push him, he'll feel put on the spot, and if he tries before he's ready, he'll feel dumb. That feeling will last his whole life, and it won't endear reading to him. Some very smart children don't learn to read until they're over seven years old. Don't worry. They quickly catch up, as long as they learn to love reading.