Reading the Papers

To discuss the overall benefits of reading would be to belabour the topic on this occasion, in our view. Why is this? Because we never pass up an opportunity to promote the endless benefits of reading; how important it is to start from as early as possible to begin to instil and nurture that skill in your child.

We know that:

• Practice makes perfect in almost everything we as humans do, and reading is no different.
• Reading provides that much-needed exercise for our brains by strengthening and building new connections.
• Reading improves concentration in your child. Why is this? Because children have to sit still and quietly in order to focus on what they are reading / what is being read to them. This skill would be greatly enhanced if they continue to do this over a longer period.
• Reading is fun and provides a great way for your child to spend its free time.

So there.....We said we wouldn’t go there - but we did!

But it doesn’t stop there. Once the love/joy of reading has been discovered, you will find that there are different stages in your child’s reading journey where he/she will discover different types of reading materials. These will start from reading books to normal story books, other fun literature like comics etc.

But when do you progress to newspapers....and most importantly, why would you?

• Reading the newspaper will keep your child up to speed with what is going on in the world. Thereby making them more aware of the world and space they live in. They are able to get information about the latest events; be that in sports, entertainment, fashion trends, art, books, music etc
• Reading the newspaper can improve your child’s command of the English language. Newspapers can provide children with a steady supply of reading content. Which will enhance their grammar skills enable them learn new words.
• Newspapers provide a wealth of knowledge as they contain information on all topics - personalities, news, views, opinions, stories, reports, research-based articles and more. This varied content will help your child form new ideas, broadens his/her outlook, enrich their thoughts and subsequently help them form opinions.
• Reading newspapers can greatly improve analytical thinking. How so? Well, by reading newspapers, children improve their general knowledge and become capable of analysing situations and events based on the facts they have read. They can start to form opinions on a given topic and also interpret/make sense of the opinions of others. This, in turn, will make your child engage better when in a social setting as your child will feel more confident and be able to express him/herself much better.
• Reading newspapers is a brilliant way to unwind as it provides your child with a break from tiresome textbook content and provides that view into the world beyond the classroom. The newspaper also provides the opportunity to do other things like solving puzzles and crosswords, reading light and entertaining stories as well as jokes and riddles.

 Reading the newspaper mustn’t be such a daunting prospect as there are now a variety of newspapers written with children in mind – written so the news is engaging but not scary or overwhelming. As with books, seek to read the papers with your child, then have your child pick a topic you both can discuss and air your views on.

If you are looking have your child sit for the 11+ entrance test, general knowledge and a very good command of the English language is a must. The newspaper would play a great role in these areas.

For more information and guidance on the 11+ entrance tests, contact us to see how our programme can help your child.

https://www.leadersarereaders.co.uk/find-your-centre

https://www.leadersarereaders.co.uk/what-next

Have a look at our other posts on the joys of reading:

https://www.leadersarereaders.co.uk/reluctant-reader

https://www.leadersarereaders.co.uk/%20when-is-the-best-time-to-teach-my-child-to-read

https://www.leadersarereaders.co.uk/why-a-practice-of-reading-rocks

https://www.leadersarereaders.co.uk/all-roads-start-with-reading

https://www.leadersarereaders.co.uk/the-5-building-blocks-of-reading