Just like all skills, reading is perfected through exposure and practice. For a child to develop an interest in the written word, the child must be exposed to age-appropriate books and must also see other members of the family reading their own books and materials.

If you have a child who may be having a bit of difficulty learning how to read, just be patient. To boost his or her confidence, start with simple reading material. Do not worry that you may not be helping your child by giving him or her material which is too easy. Your child needs to feel confident first and he or she must achieve some measure of success. Some kids do not like the feeling of making mistakes. The more opportunities there are for a child to read a word or a series of words correctly, the more they will be open to try with more difficult words as they go on.

So boost your child’s confidence first by starting him or her of with simple words and/or books. Read together or let your child read independently (as you listen) for 15 to 30 minutes a day. Before you know it, you will see a big improvement in his or her reading skills. Once your child has taken off, there will be no looking back. He or she shall then have entered into the wonderful world of reading.

Ateneo de Manila Grade School offers several programs which you can consider for your children, Enrollment period is from March 3-April 17, 2008, while the actual course offerings will run from April 16-29, 2008.

Eager Reader! is an appropriate program for 5-6 year old children who are just starting to learn how to read. Children will familiarize themselves with the sounds of the different letters; will encounter c-v-c words and will also be exposed to both sight words, as well as phrases and sentences. Different stories will be read aloud during the session to develop a reading habit in kids.

Eager Reader! will run from 8am to 10:30am and will be handled by faculty of the Ateneo Grade School. Fee is P3,500.00.

For other details and information, please call 426-6001 in Metro Manila, Philippines. You may call Jane Velasco (7106) or Lyn Acab (7108).

This is a concept that one can adopt in our families or individual groups (e.g. friends, cousins). You may choose several people to group with and agree on the mechanics. Each individual can then buy a new book and then exchange it later for another one. Everyone will have the chance to read more books than he/she actually bought.

Booksfree.com has a list of 79,800 books and 18,000 audio books that members can choose from. To avail of the service, you will need to pay the membership fee and depending on the plan that you choose, you can rent anywhere from 2 to 12 books at a time. Membership fees range from a low USD 9.99 to USD 37.99.

It will take Booksfree.com 5 to 10 business days to send you the books that you choose. You can read the book for as long as you like and when you are done, you can send them back in the prepaid return mailer. They likewise have an option wherein you can purchase the book that you rented if you like it a lot!

Do check them out. I wonder when there will be a similar service in the Philippines?

If you have kids of school age and they happen to be swamped with homework, which do you think they will want to read first — their school books or other reading materials? Your kid’s K-Zone Magazine or even a book he picked up on his own will of course be more interesting than say, his Science or Math book.

How do you handle such a situation? It is impossible to keep all non-school reading materials out of reach, not unless you have very big closets. It is important then to get your child to develop good study habits. After a few minutes of rest and after a snack when he or she comes home from school, your child must understand, that it is time to do homework. He or she will be allowed to read other materials or to play when homework is finished.

The amount of homework that a child gets varies from school to school and from age to age. It is highly unlikely that kids will be able to study for a huge block of time given their nature as kids. If your child really wants to read something else other than his or her school books, you may want to give your kid a break after an hour of studying. Give your child 15 minutes to read any other material that he or she likes before continuing with his or her homework.

Nowadays, children in middle school (from the age of 9 and up) in the Philippines may need to do homework and/or study for about an hour and a half to two hours to ensure that all schoolwork is absorbed and done. Two 15-minute reading breaks is something that you may wish to consider then if your child cannot wait until the end of his or her study session before taking a peek at his or her book or magazine.

In this way, you will ensure that your child gets to complete schoolwork and you can also continue to foster his or her interest in reading.

Having access to good reading materials can help in educating children, your family, or yourself. Reading opens up new worlds and adds to your knowledge. I am reminded of the story of Carlo J. Caparas. , the well-know Filipino komiks writer. He started out poor and worked as a security guard for a publishing house. It was while working for a publishing house that he took the time to read (reading on the job?)

You can read the rest of the story in the link above but we see how Carlo Caparas improved his lot from his earlier days. He even has a diario novela now called to To Have and To Hold, published by the Philippine Daily Inquirer. Talk about tapping a different market altogether.

Don’t have the funds to learn about something or to go to school? Try and get a book on it. Borrow it from a friend. Look out for book sales. Visit a library. A book to read always does an individual good. You will always learn a thing or two.

A subscription to Munting Saranggola costs P300 a year. Some schools would have an arrangement with Munting Saranggola so they can deliver each issue directly to your child’s classroom.

You may get in touch with Saranggola Publications, Inc. at 810-5101. They are located at 8 Maryhelp of Christians St., Better Living Subdivision, Paranaque City, Metro Manila.

One such magazine is Saranggola which targets children aged 6 to 12 years old. The focus of Saranggola is values education. Each issue of Saranggola features a particular value (e.g. honesty, obedience), with the value being taught through various stories, games, and activities.

A Saranggola subscription costs P350 per year and this entitles you to 8 issues from July to February. Certain schools have tie-ups with Saranggola so your child’s issue is delivered directly to his or her classroom. Do ask your child’s school about it.

Saranggola features stories and activities in both English and Filipino too. It likewise features riddles, mazes, and jokes which can entertain your child and keep him or her away from too much TV or video and computer games.

You may contact Saranggola Publications, Inc. at No. 8 Maryhelp of Christians St., Better Living Subdivision, Paranaque City, Metro Manila, Philippines. Call them at 810-5101.

I was so happy that my son’s school was focusing on getting my kid to read more. In fact, once my son is done with his first card, he can ask for another card. The more he reads, the more surprises or gifts he gets!

What about your child or your child’s school? Would you like to be part of the Eager Readers Club? Any school library or library affiliated with Time Life books can offer this program to children. If your child’s school does not have this activity yet, you may want to suggest to your child’s school to get in touch with Filway Marketing at www.filway.com.ph

The more Eager Readers in our families and schools, the better for our nation.

Reading may take a backseat given all the chores and responsibilities that come with parenting. I mean, in between taking the kids to school and working in the office for a demanding boss, where do you find the time to read?

The answer lies in how much we parents like to read. If you enjoy an activity, you will find the time for it. Make reading your relaxation time. It will help if your kids will see you reading the newspapers (though it may be hard to relax if you are reading the news), magazines, or even your bills! It’s better though if they will see you reading your “chosen” books so that mom and dad can lead by example and truly practice what they preach.

How can you make time for reading? Set aside 15 to 30 minutes every day. Wake up 15 minutes earlier and read for about 15 minutes before you go to bed. Read something which is not remotely work-related. That may make reading more enjoyable.

If you can do so, always have a book on hand in your bag or briefcase. You can then catch up on your reading while you are waiting for your kids, are in between meetings, or happen to be stuck in traffic (Just make sure you’re not driving.). You can even read during your lunch break or coffee break.

So parents, if you wish to see your kids reading more, you must read more too. Isn’t that great? Now you have an excuse to buy that super-expensive hardbound book that you’ve had your eyes on for the longest time. “What? This book? Oh, I’m reading it for the benefit of my son and/or daughter.” =)