Reading fills the mind only with information material, it is thinking that makes us what we read. (John Locke)
The process of acquiring the habit of reading in children emerges as a process that must be acquired in 3 stages. In the first stage; the child gains the ability to read what is written on the paper, in the second stage; making a habit of the function he has acquired and developing this habit depending on his internal motivation, that is, individual desire, and in the third stage, which is the last stage; It is a process that develops with the acquisition of critical reading skills.
The habit of reading in Turkey
International Reading Skills Development Project of the International Educational Achievement Organization (IEA) ( PIRLS) among 4th grade primary school students in 35 countries, it was revealed that Turkish children's reading skills are below international standards (EARGE, PIRLS, 2003). However, although 88% of our country's population is literate, not all of them have made it a habit to read. Okay, describing this situation as a paradox, says that as the literacy rate in our country increases, the level of reading decreases (2004, p. 413). It has been determined that -to generalize- in our country, the second and third steps of the process of acquiring reading habits have not been completed, that is, reading cannot go beyond being an action and cannot become a habit.
The effect of age factor on gaining reading habit
p>Age is undoubtedly one of the most important factors in making reading a habit. However, the primary school period, in which the child acquires basic reading skills, is more important than any other period. Especially the 6-8 age period is the most sensitive period for children to acquire reading habits and culture (Sever, 2007, p. 35). Cleary describes the period between the ages of 8 and 13 as the golden years of reading; He states that children's interest in reading may decrease after the age of 13 (Act. Bamberger, 1990, p. 8).
Children's books and gaining reading habits
In this period The most important resource that can encourage reading is children's books. Children's books; child's interest, attention, imagination, real It should be in a content that reflects the social and emotional development, has a simple language, provides aesthetic development and contributes to social and emotional development. For this reason, one of the most important duties of adults is to ensure that children meet with quality books that will make them creative from a young age (Gültekin, 2011, p. 8).
The role of the family in gaining reading habit
The place where the education process of the child starts first is "family". Therefore, their parents are role models for children. In this context, parents have great responsibilities in inculcating the habit of reading in children.
With a well-known expression, 'Children are our mirrors.' Since children take their families as role models and see them as a source of information, they are constantly under observation. At this point; Parents reading materials such as books and newspapers at home and observing these actions by children is a behavior that will increase children's interest in reading. (Homeschool-By-Design reading, 2009). This behavior; It shows children that their parents, the most important model in front of them, love to read. (Wise & Buffington, 2004, p.354).
The books read to the child by the mother and father provide benefits in many ways, such as developing imagination and vocabulary for the child's reading skills. (National Network for Child Care, 2002). In addition, during this period, parents reading a book to the child and following the places read in this process with their fingers enable children to learn that the writing follows a sequence from left to right and lines from top to bottom. (Parent Institute, 2007).
Written materials suitable for child development should be introduced. Another activity that parents should carry out in order for their children to gain reading skills in the pre-school period is to bring the child together with materials such as newspapers, magazines, books and environments where such reading materials are available. (Homeschool-By-Design, 2009).
Another important activity that parents should do to help children acquire reading skills is to provide books and magazines suitable for the child's level. (Üstün, 2007, p.21). are included. Evaluations were made according to the level of development, either picture or text-centered.
Research on children at the end of the preschool period (5-6 years old) shows that children give more importance to the content in the books. (Sofuoğlu 1979, p.156).
Taking children to children's libraries regularly allows them to interact more with materials that will enable them to acquire reading habits. In addition to children's libraries, public libraries that are open to everyone and provide services for this purpose can also have an active role in helping children acquire reading habits. It allows the formation of consciousness and desire. In studies conducted with children who have a reading environment, it has been stated that children who have a library at home or in their rooms comprehend the act of reading more easily and are more successful than other children. (Sangkaeo, 1999)
Mistakes in building the habit of reading and suggestions to reinforce the habit
Giving children a constant reward to get them into reading habit can actually be considered punishing them. The habit of reading books is related to internal motivation. With the external motivation reinforced by the reward, the child falls into the understanding of "no reward, no behavior". However, internal motivation is of maximum importance for gaining the habit. Indirect motivation or indirect reinforcement, rather than tangible reward, may stimulate the child's desire to continue this habit. For example; You can list the books your child has read and hang them on your refrigerator, and show them to people your child cares about. The positive reactions he receives can help the child see the positive results of his reading behavior.
Sending the child away from the living room to his/her room to read a book may cause negative feelings in him/her. For this reason, it would be healthier to organize a reading hour with the participation of the whole family by disabling all other stimulants. With this; chat about the book you read and find it interesting Sharing your parts will motivate the child.
'Every child is special.' It is quite wrong to compare children with each other. This attitude may undermine the child's desire to read, and may lead to the development of a negative attitude towards reading.
Reading Strategies
About and supporting the child's interests and experiences, A book should be chosen that contains pleasant pictures, is slightly above the level of vocabulary the child has, and can enjoy reading. This book should also include other genres such as poetry or fairy tales. After the book is selected, the child should be invited to read, and very familiar and loved books should be read again and again.
Before reading the book, it should be ensured that the children are ready, that each child is seated to see the book, and that the children are comfortable.
Before you start reading, the author and illustrator of the book should be introduced, other books by the same author or illustrator should be talked about, the details in the book cover and pictures should be shown.
The title of the book should be read aloud. Talk about the genre of the book, ask where and when the story takes place, introduce the main characters, and talk to children about how to listen and watch the story before reading it. “What do you think will happen in this book?” They should be asked to make guesses by asking questions such as.
Different places should be chosen for reading. Reading should not always be done at home, and sometimes different places such as parks, gardens, children's libraries, automobiles or restaurants should be used for reading activities.
The child should be encouraged to say rhymes and repetitive expressions, or the child's participation in story reading should be ensured by creating different sounds, such as the child's voice of one of the characters. .
During reading, attention should be paid to the concepts in the story. “Find all the squares in the pictures, where is the cat?” Concept development should be supported by giving instructions such as:
After the story is read, questions should be asked to remember the events that took place in the story. Questions should be asked, starting with sentences such as “How would you act if you were in the place of the protagonist? What would you do?" It should be ensured that the child identifies with the hero by asking questions such as; The child's views and thoughts on the story should be explained, so that his creativity should be encouraged. /p>
Stories allow us to understand the child's feelings and to feel how they make sense of their feelings. For example; A child who falls off a slide may be afraid to play on the slide again. A child who loses a favorite stuffed toy may be very, very upset, but unable to express it. Using storytelling as a tool to describe an event and the emotions surrounding it helps the child better understand what is going on and soothe their pain. Doing this consistently and appropriately helps the child understand, identify and express their emotions, and even better develop self-regulation skills. (Suskind;2018 ; p.173)
As a result; The process of reading a book should not be one-sided but an interactive process. With a classical understanding; in mothers' minds, the prerequisite for successful reading to a child; He was a quiet child who listened. (Suskind 2018; p.167). On the contrary; The child should be allowed to ask questions and interpret, and active participation rather than silent listening during the reading process allows the reading process to progress effectively and healthily.
Read: 0
