Schools
Children's Love of Reading Starts With Parents
When you instill the love of reading in your child your child can succeed in many areas of life.
On Jan. 22, schools in the Mableton and Austell area will send students to Marietta to compete in the Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl.
The Reading Bowl, started in Dekalb County, has been a statewide competition since 2003. Students from each school enter a team to compete.
The Reading Bowl contestants compete by answering questions about 20 books from a reading list. Five members in each team stand off against each other to answer questions in hopes of making it to the state competition at University of Georgia in March.
Find out what's happening in South Cobbwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The students chosen to compete in these teams are required to have read the books on the list and to be able to answer questions based on them. To do this well, the student must have a deep love and respect for books. Instilling the love of reading starts at a young age and can be cultivated both at home and in school.
At school, Mableton Elementary offers many incentives to read. Sparkles Read and Roll is a great goal for your children to meet. Each student that is able to complete 25 or more books that are on or above grade level will earn them a coupon for a free birthday party at Sparkles.
Find out what's happening in South Cobbwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The books will be tracked through the AR point sytem, so students should choose books that are labeled as such. Clay Elementary School has a tool to help children set their goals, achieving success 'Yard by Yard' and uses this same motto to encourage children to tackle one book at a time. At Riverside Intermediate in Mableton, children participate in a reading fair. The reading fair is an opportunity for students to create a storyboard display about their favorite books.
At home, a variety of ways to instill the love of reading will help to expand your child's imagination and take them to foreign lands, meet imaginary people, and grow their vocabulary.
The first step to instilling the love of reading to your child is to read, read as many types of books as you can, read as often as you can.
Read with your child and allow your child to see you reading for enjoyment as well.
Surround your child with books as much as you can, whether you buy them from a bookstore or borrow them from the library.
Turn off the TV and encourage your child to read to you. Encouraging reading gives your child a skill that they can use for a lifetime.
