I know readers are LEADERS!

“I know readers are LEADERS!” is our new training theme for this week.

One of our missions here at Ohana Karate is to arm you, as parents, with the tools and tips for raising healthy, successful, high achieving and happy children. This one I am about to give you is a no-brainer.

Educators and experts universally know that readingis one of the most powerful skills your child can ever learn. It may play one of the largest roles in their future.

But I want to give you and your child an edge. The key is not teaching your child the “skill” of reading but instead developing in them the “love” of reading.

So, how best to do this? First let me back up with a story.

In the well-intended quest for our children to be the best and first, we as parents, want them to be the best and first to learn spelling, reading, math and everything. We forget they used to call the ages seven and below the “pre-academic” stage of development for children. This is an age where learning self-regulating, emotional and social skills was primary.

A good example is reading and boys. Boys in general, have brains that do not develop as early for reading as compared to girls. When boys are forced to read a too early they struggle. When they struggle, they tend to dislike or even hate reading. In most cases if we would just wait, these boys would learn the skill of reading just fine and love reading.

So back to the question. Instead of focusing on the skill of reading, develop the loveof reading in your child. Here are some tips:

1. You- Probably the most effective way to develop the love of reading is your child is YOUhave to love reading (and fake it if you need to at first!) You can tell your child to read more but if they see you reading you will probably never need to.

2. Family Culture– Every family has a culture. It is just a matter if it is intention or accidental. Culture is just a “group habit” or “how we do it here”. You can develop a family of reading lovers. We are readers!

3. Read to your child – A great way to develop the love of reading early in young children is to read to them regularly. Set a time each day. Link it to something you already daily. Best of all, if you do this, you will find your child telling you when THEY are ready to start reading.

4. Always have books around – Have books in your car. Have them all over the house. Have a bag of books with you. (The most successful people have the largest libraries.) Carry a book with you everywhere.

5. Summer Reading Program– Take full advantage of our summer reading program and stack on others, typically through a local library. Summer is a time when they can get ahead . . . or slip backwards in reading and math. We are happy to be the “bad cop” while you take the role of good cop. We don’t mind making them read. (And, making you read to them.)

So, there it is. Just remember this – develop the “love” of reading over the skill of reading.

If you do your little reader will become a leader!

Enjoy your summer but keep working hard and playing hard.

Yours for stronger kids,

Sensei