“MY child doesn’t want to read” is a common complaint among parents today and it is perhaps not surprising why.

The advent of the television and more recently the Internet – which themselves are useful, necessary educational tools – see children with seemingly less time on their hands and certainly less inclination to thumb through the pages of a book.

But the adage “reading maketh a full man” still holds true such that Career & Education, having regard to the celebration of Read Across Jamaica Day last week, shares with you this week tips on how to get your children to read while loving it.

. Read with your child from as early as possible.

. Let your child see YOU reading.

. Explore books with your child, using book covers. Show the cover to your child while hiding the title. Ask your child to predict what the story will be about. Add the title and see if the answer changes.

. Spend time looking closely at the illustrations. Draw your child deeper into the book by asking questions about the illustrations.

.Ask for predictions of what they think will happen next, monitoring them throughout.

. When reading with a young child, place your finger under each word as you say it. Read slowly.

. Start each sentence and let your child finish it, once he/she is old enough to talk.

. Vary the tone of your voice as you read. Use dramatic voices to differentiate between characters or to highlight key parts of the story.

. Identify a letter or a symbol (easy ones are I and T) to stand for a word. Have the children make the letter or the symbol every time the word comes up.

. Introduce your child to a sound used in the story and have him/her clap or wiggle his/her fingers, whenever he/she hears you read a word with that sound.

. Teach your child a word that may be repeated throughout the book and let him/her say it when it appears.

. Ask your child general questions about the story. Some easy ones are: What was your favourite/least favourite part and why? Do you think this is the best possible title? Why? If not, what would be a better title? What did you learn from the story?

. Ask your child to draw a picture about the story and discuss it.

– Tips provided by the Ministry of Education.