Childhood can be compared with warm plasticine, because it is during this period that habits, attitudes and inclinations of the future personality are formed. The older the person, the more difficult it is to change his "form"; plasticine hardens. That is why it is important from an early age to teach a child to read, the benefits of which can not be argued.
In 2011, VTsIOM conducted a study on the attitude to books and reading. The results are frightening: 35% of the country's citizens do not read books at all. In 1996, these were 20%. Only 22% of people find time to read daily, while in 1996 the percentage of regular readers of books was 31. In three months, a Russian citizen reads an average of 3.94 books, while in 1992 this figure was 5, 14 (data for 2011).
Development. Is it always for the better? Just a hundred or two years ago, people did not have much of what humanity came to in the 21st century, if we are talking about technological progress. This could not but affect the changing habits, attitudes and views of people on the fundamental things that existed both 200 and 2000 years ago. Leisure also did not remain the same. For lack of other options, people devoted free hours to reading, as many now devote to the Internet. No, this is not a comparison of good and bad. This is another proof that one of the most important (if not the most important) skills is the ability to choose. Man is what he eats. And this is not only about food, but also about the information consumed. In the days of, for example, Ancient Greece, people were curious. They tried to know the world from all sides, to delve into all aspects of life. This desire to learn was lost with the advent of a huge number of alternative options for hanging out, fake, imposed interests. As a result, the number of those who can approach the subject of discussion more than on the one hand, while not resorting to sophistry, decreases. It is difficult to overestimate the importance of the ability to think, it is much easier not to notice its connection with the previously mentioned ability to control the information flow. Knowledge is the foundation on which thought, idea, is born and developed. Unnecessary, useless information clogging up your memory daily is sand on which you cannot build a palace.
What can serve as a good basis for the development of the child, his imagination and understanding of the world? The first thing that comes to mind is books. Children aged 6-8 months to 2-3 years old, whom adults read aloud, are more likely to learn to speak, read, understand speech than those whose parents were not fortunate enough to read this article in time. "Do not raise children, they will still be like you. Educate yourself." - says an English proverb.
Indeed, the chances of being indifferent to what the whole family regularly does are extremely slim. So first of all, you need to love the process yourself. At first, what the child will be more interested in depends on the parents. It is important to start with classic children's literature, with those works that are known to everyone: Russian folk tales, Pushkin's tales, a series of books about Dunno, The Adventures of Pinocchio, The Wizard of the Emerald City and so on, depending on age. Never skimp on buying books that a little literary critic liked, even if they are in the upper price segment (take from the amount set aside for new boots or a coat; believe me, it will pay off in the future).
Further, when your child is already in full study of children's classics, it will not be amiss to warm up interest and from time to time “feed” portions of motivation. Create an environment in which it is simply impossible to do anything other than reading. Shelving or bookshelf, atmospheric wallpaper, beautiful furniture - all this will help create a pleasant association. The latter will also be facilitated by treating with various delicacies (strictly in moderation!). You can motivate by buying gift editions or books with "filling" (on their pages are usually voluminous images that clearly show the material, various additions in the form of notes, cards, etc.). Be regularly interested in what the child read last, which hero he liked the most and why; what plans to take on further.
You can “learn to read” at a later age, if necessary, but it is more difficult, because books appear to have competitors in the face of festivities and computer games. By completely banning the latter, you can either get started reading “nothing to do”, or become furious and striving to leave the book-hater. The option of putting forward ultimatums of the type “for 10 pages of a book 30 minutes of a game or a walk” is ambiguous, since books can become an association with an obstacle that arises on the way to the desired (no doubt, a positive result is possible if the content that is forcibly absorbed falls into the bullseye). A smoother introduction of literature into life can be carried out taking into account interests. Find out in which game universe your child spends time, or which films he prefers. Choose a book that is closest to the topic and try to interest him. The main thing is that reading, especially at first, was a pleasure (do not be embarrassed if the plot tells about a war of cats or green creatures with big fangs).
And finally. To succeed in something, you need to love this thing. The statement is transparent, like water. But not always the love of craft arises naturally. It happens that when you start, you need to endure for some time: first failures, awareness of your own weakness, unwillingness to overcome the point where the stage of unconscious mechanical work is replaced by work in pleasure. This can apply to any field of activity, and the sooner you can bring this thought to the child, the more you will contribute to his success in life.
