How do I make my child love reading?As a grade six English teacher at Maragon Ruimsig, I am frequently asked this question at Parents’ Evenings. The child concerned inevitably struggles with the comprehension section of my assessments and while the diagnosis is simple, the “medication” is very difficult to administer…think squirming cat here and the thankless task of attempting to force a pill down the hapless feline’s throat! An almost impossible task.
After about 28 years of teaching English, I am certainly qualified to state that, without a doubt, my top achievers were bookworms. Their vocabulary was excellent; they were able to master the skills of skimming and scanning for information in no time at all. The non-reader would comparatively read line by line looking for answers in the most laborious fashion, often needlessly re-reading sections in an attempt to find that ever-elusive answer. Naturally, the non-reader would start to panic and run out of time and in many cases skip to the easier Language section, often losing some 15-20% of their marks because of their inability to skim and scan.
Before beginning with the suggestions, I will outline below, there may be a valid reason why your child dislikes reading. He or she may be struggling with a number of optical difficulties best diagnosed by an optometrist. The, as yet undiagnosed, difficulty could cause words to swim in front of your child’s eyes, letters could well be dancing in the most bewildering fashion making reading a fate worse than death itself. If you, as the parent wore glasses at an early age then genetically your child, too, will be more inclined to wear spectacles at an early age as well. In short: a visit to the optometrist is essential before proceeding.
Being an avid reader from an early age, I often find myself returning to my childhood looking for the stimuli that set me on the path towards loving books. My father was always curled up on the couch with a Louis L’amour in hand. The bookshelf was filled with westerns, non-fiction and various other genres. I was always a naturally curious child and absorbed all the “Children of the World” books, which were full of fascinating facts from countries all over the world. Very soon I graduated to Westerns and then onto adult novels at the age of 12. In hindsight, some of these books were not suitable for children of my age but my parents were none the wiser.
From this account, you can draw your own conclusions. If you want, your children to read you should be modelling that behaviour. Provide a healthy cross section of genres to appeal to your child’s unique reading palate. Generally, I find boys prefer non-fiction to fiction; girls on the other hand gravitate to fiction and tend to, as a rule, read more than boys tend to. As an added incentive, and to gauge your child’s interests, take your child to a bookstore and ask them to choose what it is that interests them.
Another possible way forward, counter-intuitively, is to choose an excellent audio book and listen to it in the car, on the way to your holiday destination, or even to school, every morning. This method will pique your child’s interest as they become involved in the plot and the drama of the reading. The next step may well be your child asking to read the books produced by that particular author.
Use technology to your advantage allow your child to purchase digital readers and order books online. Naturally, you will have to put provisos in place as to how much they may spend.
Which brings me to another matter…my own children…confession time: they do not read! Horror of horrors and here I am dispensing advice to all those parents out there! My children have been surrounded by books and both my wife and I read a great deal. My eldest was never interested in reading except for a very short “Lord of the Rings” spell. Today at 23 years of age, he mostly immerses himself in surfing the net and following up on his investments and shares, all of which require skimming and scanning skills. My middle child, now in Matric, was a bookworm of note and is now a top student, he no longer reads. My youngest has read perhaps two or three books in his entire 14 years and yet manages to achieve top marks for his comprehensions.
My point is that there are no fixed rules, the old adage applies, “You can take a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink.” Do not despair if you try out all the tips I have mentioned without success. Our children are reading all the time, be it advertisements or cereal boxes, they read a copious amount of material without picking up a book. More important than the mechanical technique of reading is comprehension or understanding what it is you are reading. The thinking skills behind the reading are vital. You might want to try commenting on a headline that may appear on a street-pole. Try the WWWWHW technique i.e. who, what, where, when, how and why. In other words, “Who do you think the headline is speaking about?” This technique teaches your child to read with comprehension. Scroll through the articles on news 24 and utilize the same technique.
In conclusion: you may not produce a bookworm, but you are giving your child the skills by which they can dissect a piece of writing and is that not what reading is really all about?
By Ian McCallum, teacher of Maragon Ruimsig Preparatory
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Education Safety- Schools are being targeted by criminals for equipmentWith the recent spate-of school-related crimes, it seems schools may not be the haven we have always trusted them to be.
While school violence is prevalent and widespread, schools are also being targeted by criminals for electronic devices such as computers and IT equipment.
According to Jason Mordechai, MD at 7Arrows:
Security: ‘Over the past few months, there has been an increase in school break-ins. It’s frightening to note that they seem to have worked out how to overcome the physical barriers to entry and are gaining access to school properties relatively easily – often using the roof as an entry point. Many schools house their security systems in the roof, which gives criminals the added advantage of cutting the system before they have been detected.’
The impact of crime at school is not confined to the incident alone. There are far-reaching consequences which affect children’s feelings of trust at school, their attendance and their ability to learn. ‘As parents, it is our responsibility to protect our children. While crime is not something we can control, unfortunately, we can ensure that we know as much as possible about the school environment,’ says Maanda Tshifularo, Head of Dialdirect Insurance.
How to protect your child at school
Tshifularo shares the following tips to maximise the protection of your child at school:
• Know what security methods, procedures and systemsare in place at the school.
• Ensure that both you and your child know what to do in the case of an emergency.
• Ensure that the school you choose has a transparentflow of communication between staff and parents.
• Become familiar with the system used at the schoolif violence or a crime occurs. Is trauma counselling provided, for example?
What is the procedure for collecting childrenafter school? Who do you inform if someone else is collecting your child?
• Where is the emergency meeting point at the school?
• Ensure your child has memorised the following emergency numbers:
• Nationwide Emergency Response: 10111
• Mobile phone emergency hotline: 112
• Ambulance/Fire Brigade: 10177
• Download the Dialdirect Namola app onto your smartphone
Mordechai warns that security systems should never be housed in the roof or ceiling. For added support, strong electric protection is advised on the inside of external gates and doors, and security sensors should be placed in sensitive areas, including the ceiling, to alert security if there has been a perimeter breach.
‘Ultimately, understanding what protective measures have been put in place by the school to prevent crime, and teaching your children how to access help in the case of an emergency, is one step closer to protecting them during the school day,’ says Tshifularo.
Parenting Hub is one of South Africa’s largest online lifestyle magazines, targeted toward Parents.
We understand that there are many aspects that encompass a Mother, Father or Child and strive toward providing resources and services that accommodates this.
Our content is aimed to inform and educate families on issues starting from pregnancy through to the challenges of the teen-age years.
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Back-to-school blues? Here’s what you can do…Holidays are like cats! They creep into your lap for a cuddle and just when you start feeling all warm and fuzzy inside, they jet off to some unknown place, leaving you feeling disappointed and perhaps a little cold! Is this not true of these school holidays? They crept in, had a cuddle and left – just like that!
Cindy Glass, Owner and Co-Founder of Step Up Education Centres says, “Families around South Africa are frantically trying to prepare for the new school year. Uniforms, stationery, lunch boxes! Grade 1’s are going to big school and Grade 8’s are starting high school – both ‘small fish in big ponds’. Money is being spent, transport is being planned and emotions are running all over the place! Excitement, fear, elation, anxiety, anticipation, expectation and STRESS are all a part of the process. Everyone copes differently, with some families even feeling the ‘back-to-school-blues’.”
Cindy adds that a smooth start to the year is as easy as making small changes to how you approach the next couple of weeks.
She offers 6 helpful tips for parents:
- Set the tone: Your children are going to take their cue from the words you speak and the actions that you take. Make it your priority to create an atmosphere of excitement and positive anticipation in your family as you prepare for the new school year!
- Get organised: So often, the sheer enormity of the task ahead creates a sense of anxiety and stress! Create a comprehensive to-do list. Prioritise the most important requirements. Tick off the ‘done’ bits. In this way, you have a visual representation of your progress, helping you feel a sense of ‘getting there’!
- Get your children involved: Covering books and labelling stationery together is a wonderful opportunity to teach independence and responsibility. In addition, you will have created a space for open discussion about the upcoming year.
- Talk to your children: What are they excited about, what activities do they want to participate in, what are their expectations and fears? Listen to understand and without judgement. Let your children know that you have their back. You are, after all, in this together!
- Eliminate as many of the unknowns as possible: If your child is starting a new school, for whatever reason, make sure that they know exactly what to do and where to go.
- Positive connection is key: Remember that it takes a village to bring up a child. It is essential that parents, teachers and children feel respected and supported. Make an effort to attend school meetings and try to get to know your child’s teachers with will allow for a happy and successful school year!
“Finally, create a safe space within your family home for after-school discussions and positive problem-solving – no matter the challenge. The age-old tradition of sitting around a dining table is the perfect opportunity for connection, discussion and support. You will be amazed at how much you will learn about your children and how best to support them if you just take the time to listen carefully and without judgement. The importance of family and the role it plays in a positive education experience cannot be overstated!” Cindy concludes.
Parenting Hub is one of South Africa’s largest online lifestyle magazines, targeted toward Parents.
We understand that there are many aspects that encompass a Mother, Father or Child and strive toward providing resources and services that accommodates this.
Our content is aimed to inform and educate families on issues starting from pregnancy through to the challenges of the teen-age years.
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