Do you allow your kid to read extracurricular reading ?

Tianjin, China
April 27, 2010 6:43pm CST
Morning,my lotter! Recently,I read a book about How to educate your kid.The author suggested the parents that let the kid read extracurricular reading more better. In china ,many parents think a lot of the score of the test.they don't allow for extracurricular reading . They are afraid that it will waste the time. I have a kid ,he is nearly two years old though,It decide me to let my kid to read more and more reading. What about you ?Do you like reading ?If you a student in a school,do you like reading extracurricular reading ? if you have children ,do you allow for it?
8 people like this
24 responses
@Hatley (163781)
• Garden Grove, California
28 Apr 10
xinlingchengbao oh my dear let your children read all they want it will only do good, the earlier a child learns to read the better the child does in school,it is certainly not a waste of time. is that a communist idea because if it is that is complete nonsense. children who learn to read and love to read do much much better in school than children who do not love reading a nd are not allowed to read .I am in the US we are not a communist country we are free and we encourage our children to read. I love to read and read to my own children when they were little. I am now 83 a nd my son is 50 and we are still both of us avid readers.
2 people like this
@GardenGerty (157027)
• United States
28 Apr 10
My children read early and read a lot. It made it easier for them in school because they had the ability plus all the extra knowledge they picked up along the way.
1 person likes this
• China
28 Apr 10
Hello, Hatley. I am in China also. I have to point out that people in China are free to read and express themself. The problem here is that most of the parents did not allow their kid "wasting" much time on the books without direct relation to their normal courses in school,like novel,poetry,etc. Did you have misunderstanding on communist idea?
• Tianjin, China
28 Apr 10
Hi,Hatly! I will keep at reading,and let my kid read more and more .Like you said,the earlier a child learns to read the better the child does in school. Have a nice day!
• United States
28 Apr 10
As a mother who homeschools her children, I let them read extra for sure. Reading, and comprehending what you read is so important to our society. I guess if they were only wanting to read the extracurricular stuff, and not the stuff laid out for their lessons, then I would have to say no to the extracurricular reading.
• United States
29 Apr 10
Yes, I teach my children from home, and as I stated they read all the extracurricular reading they want.
• Tianjin, China
28 Apr 10
Homeschool? is that mean you teach your children by yourself at home? I think you should let your children read extracurricular books which they like. It is not effect them .
@GardenGerty (157027)
• United States
28 Apr 10
I do not think you can go wrong if you let them read things outside of what is required. As you can see, for many of us reading is a great pleasure. When you read things besides the texts you are given you pick up what is called incidental learning. You learn many things that you just read in passing. Reading is not a waste of time, but will help your child expand his brain.
@ronaldinu (12422)
• Malta
28 Apr 10
My son loves reading. He is better in English language than in his native country. Thus I am trying to help him read more in Maltese. Recently I was reading a book that I think its suitable for teenagers. Its on similar lines to that of JK Rowling Harry Potter series but in a local environment. My son got hooked on it and read the whole book despite being bulky in just three days. I do think that reading opens your horizons.
1 person likes this
@udayrao2 (781)
• India
28 Apr 10
Hi yes - very much so; in fact I think reading extra-curricular not only helps the kids in their language etc but also improves their general knowledge, memory besides their IQ. when I was in school my parents subscribed to Reader's Digest, Time & Newsweek magazines and I read them - all topics - later reading became a hobby and I would read papers magazines etc and the n in college I subscribed to way out ( for me as it was not my profession/occupation or education) magazines like Popular science, & Popular mechanics etc; I would also read ( and still do ) a lot of other books- both fiction and non-fiction - and lot of people I know comment ( I not blowing my own trumpet, mind you!!)that i do have a very good General knowledge- and the same is with my family. So hope that responds to your discussion
1 person likes this
@setsuna26 (2751)
• Philippines
29 Apr 10
I like reading alot too its just that too much reading for me makes me feel so sleepy most of the time. And i only do reading before i go to sleep so that it will help me induce sleep.But every now and then i encourage my niece and nephews to read alot and to do lots of reading when they dont have much to do. I believe reading will make them even better in school and will enhance their mental progress too
1 person likes this
• Tianjin, China
29 Apr 10
Hi,Setsuna! You like reading or you like sleep? lol... Yes,reading will make your niece and nephew better in school. What kind of books do you let them read?And what's kind of books you read?
@deebomb (15304)
• United States
28 Apr 10
reading is power and knowledge will get your child far in life. When my grandkids and kids were very little we started reading to them every might before bed time. They now love reading. It is something that stays with them for all their live. It also teaches them good comprehension. It has helped them with school over the years. It also broadens their minds. so encourage them to read every thing they can get their hands on.
1 person likes this
@SViswan (12051)
• India
28 Apr 10
Of course! Extra reading always helps the child. Indian education is quite conventional too...but the kids who enjoy reading...manage to find the time to read everything and anything they can get their hands to! It helps them academically too...because they learn to focus and comprehend. It also increases vocabulary and language skills.
1 person likes this
@cripfemme (7698)
• United States
3 May 10
I'm an American; school here spend more and more time teaching for the test here, as well. I'm a writer and think that's awful. Reading isn't a means to an end. It should be joy that people maintain from childhood to adulthood. I love to read and expect my kid will be the same. I'll horrified if they aren't readers. I can tell you that.
• Tianjin, China
3 May 10
Thank you for response. It is good for kid to read. Have a nice day.
@AmbiePam (84651)
• United States
28 Apr 10
I started reading when I was three, and from there on couldn't get enough of books. And doing extracurricular reading just made reading my schoolbooks all the more fun. What I learned at school often made me want to learn more about that subject. As a result, I had a vocabulary far above the rest of my classmates, and I read faster and retained more than the others. I credit that to my parents encouraging me to read anything and everything. I think it is what helped me do so well in school, and then in college.
• Tianjin, China
29 Apr 10
Morning,AmbiePam. I didn't read extracurricular reading when i was in school.My mother thought that the student should read schoolbooks at first.so i had never read other books before i graduated. Recently, i know that,i know the importance of reading. I like reading now,and i will read to my son ,let him like reading. Have a nice day.
@cher913 (25782)
• Canada
28 Apr 10
i not only allow it, i encourage it. people who dont read miss so much i think. both my kids read and i love it (and reading too). we visit the library once a week.
• Tianjin, China
29 Apr 10
Well done,cher913! How old are your kid? what kind of books do you choose? It is a good idea to borrow books from library. Thank you for response.
@crys7881 (249)
• United States
29 Apr 10
Of course I let my kids read whatever they want!! In fact I make my nine year old read every night before bed!! She has tons of books that I have bought her and we also go to the libraby so she can pick out whatever books she wants. I definitely think it is a good thing for your kids to read!! I have a five year old that can't read yet so I frequently read books to him and he loves it!! I absolutely love to read and I would read kids books to my belly when I was pregnany with my kids.
• Tianjin, China
29 Apr 10
Crys,you are a great Mom,i think. My son is nearly 2 years,i often read book to him,he is very like. he can't read by himself now ,but he is very interested in reading. Have a nice day and good luck!
• Philippines
28 Apr 10
I like reading eversince I was a child. When I was in gradeschool, aside from educational books I read novels. I started reading novels like Sweet VAlley high, Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys. I have so many books. Reading extracuricular continue until I was in highschool and in College. If I have a children, I would want them to read books too. But I will choose the books that they will read depending on their age.
@TheCatLady (4691)
• Israel
3 May 10
In the West most parents have to encourage their child to read. I always loved reading and would read anything I could get my hands on.
• Tianjin, China
3 May 10
That's a good habit,keep at reading.
• Israel
4 May 10
I absolutely love to read. We have a good little used book store in town. The books are really cheap, so I can buy as many as I want to buy. Many of the books are only 1 or 2 dollars. I pass them onto my friends to read also. When I have more books than I can fit on my shelves, I bring a few boxs full and she gives me credit for more books.
@carolscash (9492)
• United States
2 May 10
As a home school mom to two children, I truly believe that reading all that a child can read is very important. It allows them to learn about things that they are interested in and it allows them to learn more on their own. I enjoy reading and I want to pass that love of books onto them.
• United States
28 Apr 10
I not only allowed it with my kids, I suggested and rewarded it! I encouraged every type of reading. I took them to the library to pick out books on topics they enjoyed. It is a good habit and we need to read more than just for information. It is all part of the learning process..
@phyrre (2317)
• United States
28 Apr 10
Almost all of my family is really big on extracurricular reading and it's something we've really passed on through the family, I think. It seems like everyone in our family who reads regularly outside of classwork and after graduating does better in school and retains more knowledge about things than the people in my family that hate to read. Not to mention that reading for fun enhances reading skills and makes it easier when you have to read for class, too. I've always had a pretty advanced reading level because my mother always read to me and instilled in me the love of reading. When I was 2 I would drag all sorts of things to her to read to me, even if I couldn't understand them. One of my favorites would be that I would bring her that day's newspaper to read because it was something new every day, even though I had no idea what it meant! But, because of that, I also learned to read and write at three and even now I still love doing both and I think that's because my mother took the time to teach me those things and show me that they can be fun and enjoyable. ^_^
• Tianjin, China
29 Apr 10
Morning,phyrre. You are lucky,you have a wise mother. I know,some kids study very well in school,but after graduating,they fall behind other kids. One of the reason is that they don't read books in spare time. Thank you for response,good luck.
@pandaeyes (2065)
28 Apr 10
We always read to ours even when they were babies. I think it helps them to broaden their minds as well as their vocabulary. Neither of my children could read before they were 5 but they both picked it up very quickly and include reading in their hobbies even today. My daughter is studying English at university now. Her room at home is piled with books still. We all love reading in this family.
• Tianjin, China
29 Apr 10
Love reading!!!!!
@nangisha (3496)
• Indonesia
3 May 10
I will allow my children to read any thing they want, as long it suitable with their age. I personally think make your children love to read since childhood its very important because children who love read will be more smart than others kid. Reading beside school book will help your child to relax and develop their imagination.
@thomad13 (210)
• United States
28 Apr 10
My son is in kindergarten. He brings home a book everyday that he has to read. I also by him books every month from flyers the school sends home. And we go to the library to check out more books that i let them choose or that I think they would enjoy. He loves to read. WE have a daughter that is three. She loves to have her older brother read to her or for us to read books to her. I think its good for children. It expands their mind and potentials as well. If they enjoy it and its beneficial you shouldn't hold your child back from that. I loved reading as an extracurricular when I was in school.
• Tianjin, China
29 Apr 10
Thank you for response,thomad. You like reading,and you son and daughter like reading too. so the influence of parents is very important.well done. Have a good day.