Do you remember your early years? Reading a book in your cozy corner and getting lost in the wonderful world of your imagination?
Those were the golden years if you ask us- the smell of new books, the excitement to get onto the next chapter, relating to the characters and creating an adventure for ourselves in ‘Neverland’.
We may think of these memories as exciting and fun experiences, without realizing just how much these stories have become a part of our existence and have played a role in shaping us.
We think it’s never too early to start reading but for the stories to actually have a positive impact on your child’s mind, the right age to start reading would be around 11 years.
Reading that begins at this age or even slightly earlier (depending on your child’s aptitude) has the power to positively reinforce your child’s thinking in a number of ways.
Apart from the obvious increase in brain activity, reading can beneficially affect your child’s level of concentration, empathy, compassion, and can give him or her exposure to different cultures of the world. It can influence your child’s power of imagination while improving his/her vocabulary.
While the options to chose from for your growing children are many, here are the three that we would advise them to read from a holistic learning point of view:
1- Counting by 7s
The genius of the miracle writer Holly Goldberg Sloan is this story about Willow, a unique girl who has been blessed with an extremely high IQ. After suffering a great tragedy, where she loses both her parents in a car crash, Willow takes it upon herself to battle all evils and make her world a beautiful place to be in. Reading this book will not only teach your kid/kids that sorrows can end if they want them to, but it can also inspire them to never accept defeat as well as use their strengths to get ahead in life. Life as a pre-teen or early-teen can get complicated for the tender heart and mind, this book can inspire them to become stronger and be grateful for all the good things they have in their world.
2- Paperboy
A story that encourages compassion and humanity, Paperboy by Vince Vawter is an unforgettable read for absolutely anyone, especially impressionable young minds. The story is based on a young boy who has a severe stuttering problem, and his journey to self-confidence. Your kid can take away a lot from this piece of art. Be it simply the acceptance of and not making fun of someone with a problem, or even inspiration for overcoming his or her own flaws- this book can instill confidence and determination to not only be a better person but also be a successful one.
3- The Wednesday Wars
This is a story crafted by the brilliance of Gary D. Schmidt and takes us back to the 1960’s through the eyes of a young lad. Being alive amidst the Vietnam War from the point of view of a middle-school boy calls for some amazing wit, which makes it easier for your child to understand complicated sociopolitical facts that are more than applicable in today’s world.
This read will help get your child interested in and be more aware of worldly matters, broadening his or her horizons, while significantly improving their sentence formation, vocabulary, and grammar.
While these are some of the books we suggest, you know your child best and will be the best judge regarding what they should read. A few reading tips while you encourage your child to read:
- Make them read aloud so that you can point out the morals or explain the positives of each situation.
- Ask them to list 2 words that they learned every day during their reading time.
- If they don’t want to read books or have difficulty keeping up with the physical activity of reading, you could introduce them to audiobooks which are also equally impactful.
It’s never too late to help your child discover the art of reading and consequently set them up for success for the rest of their lives.
