Friday, March 19

Dealing With The New Generation

I attended a course today on reading and surprisingly, I brought back some parenting tips!

(1) Do not use your own experience and force it down the throat of your children.

(2) Do not expect your children to read like you used to. They belong to the multimedia generation. Allow them to explore different ways to "read", even if it is casually flipping a book, or hearing a summary of a book from their friends.

(3) Give them choices and let them make informed choices.

(4) We need to create a reading environment for our children. Make books accessible for them even if they do not have the habit to read often.

(5) There is no point in trying to fight with the internet/ cable tv. Pulling your children away from them will only agitate them and it might trigger reactions beyond your imagination. Think of ways use the internet as a resource.

(6) Accept the fact that the children in this generation are experts in multi-tasking. They are unlike us. When they multi-task, it doesn't necessary mean they are not learning or not paying attention.

(7) You need to arouse the children's curiosity so that they will want to read that particular book.

(8) Most boys will only be able to exercise self discipline at a much later age compared to girls as the front of the brain, which is in charge of self discipline, will only mature after adolescence for boys.

Some of these tips are reminders to me. Some are new to me.

A very fruitful morning.

3 voices:

wolfgirl said...

Thanks for sharing. Now I feel less guilty about letting her watch TV.

wl said...

Very useful tips! Thanks for sharing. Now I understand why Keira doesn't seem as interested in reading as I used to.

ShanZen - Brightsong said...

That's true about boys being less able to exercise discipline than girls :p My girl though much younger is already acting like the "governess" to her elder brother!