The parents are happy when their children start reading at 5 years old. However, the "joy" is forgotten over time, in their 10-15 years pupils are increasingly immersed in YouTube and Minecraft. Adults have to scavenge their time, at least for homework. Our family has also faced with this experience - my daughter Yuliia has learned to speak and read quite early. And when she grew up a bit, she has hit into high tech and digital: she has her own YouTube channel, actively shoots video and dreams of becoming a blogger. She needs a constant reminder about books.
Personally, I, as a mother, am deeply convinced that it is necessary to read every day, many and different things. Over the past few years, I have introduced various practices and mechanisms to accustom my daughter to books. In this process, the most difficult for us were two things. The first was to switch attention from a fascinating gadget to a "boring" at first glance book. The second was to overcome laziness. After all, reading requires intellectual effort - thinking, analyzing, and being in context. In order to defeat these two barriers, I've set a goal for me to make reading fascinating for a child. Here are a few used lifehacks.
We've switched smoothly to the book. Firstly, I've suggest to my daughter that I'll read to her. And after 2-5 pages the child, plunging into an adventure story, seeks to know what will happen to the protagonist next. Therefore, she continues to read it by herself. That's how we've overcome 8 volumes of Harry Potter in the second and third classes.
We choose literature in an exciting atmosphere - during shopping in the Prospekt shopping mall we're visiting Bukva store for sure. We're looking through the pages, looking at the pictures, reading the annotations. We're buying everything we've liked.
In «winter-spring-2018» season we've passed 14 stories of Ukrainian and world writers. Each of them is especially fascinating: about the main characters' feelings, dreams and decisions. My daughter and I recommend you reading each one of them. Here are a few facts about the impact of reading books on the child's worldview and self-esteem.
«Hello, this is me» is a modern trilogy of the Norwegian writer Nina Grentvedt about the teenage girl Uda. How she fell in love, experienced failure and wrote a secret diary. Being unsure of something is normal for a schoolgirl. The daughter was pleasantly surprised that similar feelings, in some ways even unpleasant, are experienced not only by her. Uda is an example of the fact that other children of her age are also «sometimes a bit happy or sometimes unhappy». Therefore, this story has added confidence in understanding herself and experiencing difficulties. And we've also learned that the main character's favorite book is «The NeverEnding Story» by the German author Michael Ende. Therefore, we purposefully went to Bukva in the Prospekt shopping mall for this book.
«The NeverEnding Story» is a super-story about the usual lonely boy Bastian Balthazar Bux, whom no one paid attention to. However, he was able to save the whole world of fantasy. «The book can easily compete with my beloved Harry Potter. After all, it has more fictional characters with different super powers, moral principles, wills to win and psychotypes. The most unique heroes are the Dragon of Happiness, the green-skinned warrior Atrejo, the Queen Girl, the light-boat, the colored lion Graograman. While reading it, I've painted drawings about them», - Yuliia told me. This adventure is really about the difficult journey from a humble guy to a famous hero, who inspires. Perhaps, after «The NeverEnding Story» my daughter became more self-motivated for reading.
«Coraline» of the English science fiction writer Neil Gaiman is recognized as a bestseller by the New York Times. As it teaches to forgive, to listen to intuition, not to «waste» on trifles for their own benefit, but to feel empathy for others. And most importantly, there is room for feats even in childhood. After all, the girl Coraline saved her parents, did not succumb to the insidious, but tempting offers of the wicked witch. Yuliia has interpreted the story in her own way: «The book is fearful; I've even trembled a little under the blanket. And the drawings are gloomy. However, it was a discovery for me - how a girl can think and act like an adult. She gave advices to herself, supported herself, and drew attention to details and evidences. There were situations, when it seemed that the witch had already won. But Coraline, while overcoming her own fear and hesitation, came up with new schemes against enchantments and manipulations. I then thought - if Coraline could overcome her own fear in her real story, then I will not be afraid either. After all, I'm still a reader».
«The Pyramid of Cynthia» is a short story from the Ukrainian fiction writer Oleh Koldun about Cynthia, the daughter of the king, and her butler. My daughter has mostly been impressed with the book's illustrations: «The drawings reminded me of the ancient paintings I saw in Egypt. It has so inspired to tell the stories about old kings in a modern way and draw stories about them», - Yuliia shared her impressions.
The sales assistant in Bukva at the Prospekt shopping mall has not recommended reading the book «The Witches» by the English writer Roald Dahl. She said she heard negative reviews, how scary the children were. However, we've already fell in love with «Matilda», «BFG», «James and peach», «Charlie and the chocolate factory» by Dahl. Our reader's intuition prompted that Mr. Dahl could not write poorly. So we took a chance, bought «The Witches», read it and didn't regret of doing so. It has been confirmed - really scary, when children are hunted by evil spirits that turn them into mice. However, life goes on when there is a noble and intelligent 86-year-old grandmother. «This is an incredible story about relationships in families - warm and caring for the main character. And contemptuous to each other in the family of another boy - the contrast has been seen in different dialogues. I read the book in a day. Although there are more than 200 pages», - says Yuliia.
«Judy Moody» by the American writer Megan MacDonald calls lots of laughter. Indeed, a child's mood can change, and that's normal. And the main goal in life is to find out whom the teacher has fallen in love with. Judy is a character with a lot of emotions, curiosity, speed and unpredictability. My daughter repeated many of Judy's «feats» and ideas and it was exciting-fun. Parents have to support their children, seek new solutions with them. And in «Judy Moody» - modern cases are ready.
And «Manyunya writes a fantastic novel» from Narine Abgaryan will cheer up every evening as you read the book. Quarrels and reconciliation, secrets - to tell everyone, that parents did not guess. It's about different characters of children who get along together. Actually, after reading «Manyunya», my daughter began to write her own «novel». In her quad ruled notebook, with her own illustrations.
While motivating my child to read more books, I've personally applied all possible methods, arguments and communication tools. We've started with intellectual shopping - we chose literature in the bookstore carefully, at home we look it through, adjust and read. And as a result - we form a collection of books read, a children's home library and a lot of impressions. Therefore, we learn to think independently, in order to be creative and create our own heroes.