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Primary schooling plays a very important role in the life of a student. The years a student spends in primary schools define their understanding of various concepts covered under different subjects. The learning is more broad-based and assists the student in their mental, physical, emotional and social growth. The basic framework for your child’s education is defined here and hence it is a very meaningful phase for them.
Primary Schooling
While choosing a primary school for your child, you need to keep in mind the academic structure and facilities provided by the school. As students are also young at this stage, you will want to choose schools that are closer to home. If you are located in Bangalore, there are many schools to choose from. International schools in Bangalore have different curriculums like the CBSE, IG, ICSE, SSC, and IB.
The school has one goal – to make your child proficient in reading, writing and understanding concepts with examples from daily life and have the ability to practically apply them. With this in mind schools try to create friendly environments that encourage children to have fun and learn together. Let us discuss one of these skill sets in detail – the art of enabling the child to become a voracious reader.
Importance of reading for students of Primary School
Among the different skills that schools teach children, reading is one of the main ones. Nurturing a habit of reading books daily helps children in a variety of ways. The ability to read this particular article or anything else in the world is possible because you were taught to read. This sort of makes it like a basic and life-altering skill one must have.
Reading helps improve a child’s vocabulary. As they get exposed to different words and phrases, they get curious and overtime introduce these words and phrases into their daily vocabulary. Reading helps introduce children to stories that go beyond academics and help them learn more about daily life, different lifestyles and the world. The world has different cultures and there is a lot more in the universe that they can learn from books.
Reading helps with brain development and makes them more creative. Children integrate what they read into their day-to-day activities and this has an impact on their listening and writing skills too. As it polishes their writing skills, this can be a huge benefit while considering their future.
International schools in Bangalore and around the world understand these benefits and hence place a lot importance on reading for children.
Why do children not like to read?
Reading is a solo activity and children are known to have very low attention spans. Hence, they get distracted easily or get bored quickly. However, once they discover the joy of reading and get invested in the story, there is no stopping them. To make this possible, schools need to make the process of reading interesting. This is done by introducing the right books to get children into the habit and allocating time in the curriculum to develop this life-saving habit in the child.
How International Schools in Bangalore recommend to develop the habit of reading in children?
Here are some tips recommended by teachers from some premier primary education institutions to help your child develop the habit of reading simultaneously at home too.
1. Stock up your home with books for the child to read. Physical books are more recommended as they keep children away from devices. However, e-books and audio books can also be tried on some days. Choose books that are age-appropriate. If the child is young, then choose books with simple language to get them started. Books with too many difficult words can be frustrating and might lead to the child losing interest.
2. Choose books from a variety of genres. Books that have mystery and adventure are often fun to read and are page-turners. Getting adventure series will get the child invested and that will lead to this turning into a habit.
3. Create a reading friendly environment at home. Set up a little space where the child can read. This will help them focus on that one task without their mind wandering.
4. Be a good example for your child. Read along with them and talk about the books you read. Ask them to tell you about the stories they read and have discussions at home about them. This will help them understand the story and as you invest your time and energy, it will motivate them.
5. Make reading a fun activity by introducing games into it. You can play word games or read to each other and build associations. Bring stories alive by enacting them out in the house or just mixing them with daily activities.
6. Let your child also choose the books they want to read. Take them to libraries to discover different books. Letting them choose books gives them a little freedom and makes them more responsible.
7. Have a bedtime reading ritual – read books right before going to bed aloud with them. Narrate stories to them to give different voices to characters. Encourage them to try the same. Here, they will definitely enjoy story-telling. It will also make them more imaginative and creative. And who knows, the next big author too!
8. Reread books. This will help jog their memory and also help them retain better. Make reading sessions more fun with drawing, painting, writing or acting sessions. You could write your own story or enact the story you read. This can be a small event for the child and they could have fun with it.
9. Read books in the language the child is most comfortable in. But also try books of other languages that the child is learning in school. This will help them stay more connected with the language and help them develop a liking for it. Being proficient in more than one language is always an asset to the student’s present and future.
10. Most schools have book clubs and discussions. Encourage your child to join these and participate there. As they are in the company of their friends, this activity will become more fun for them.
These are some of the many tips that you could try at home with your child. As all children are different and unique in their own way, they enjoy different activities and could be drawn to different genres. Lastly, remember that every child is different. So, if your child doesn’t immediately take a liking to reading, they might enjoy it over a period of time. Make this a fun and not a forceful hobby.
Reading in School
As students spend a lot of learning time in school, schools have the responsibility to initiate the habit of reading in them. International schools in Bangalore encourage children to read academic books in class and also other books for fun.
Books that introduce different cultures to children provide them with new perspectives. Books about history and the environment make them curious about their surroundings. In this way, there is a book for everything, the child might not only love reading but also find a topic that they are passionate about.
International schools also have reading clubs and logs maintained so children can access books from the library and enjoy reading books at their own pace. In this way, primary schooling in international schools is well planned and organised to help your child grow into well-rounded individuals.
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