The teacher/parent functions as the agent for the teaching. The love and passion of the teacher on a subject communicates to children and young adults.
Teachers/parents need to be adventurous and creative in each class or at home to awaken interest, curiosity and love for literature whether a picture book, a book with graphics, a textbook, novel, essay, poem, verse, fiction or non-fiction.
A love of books, old and new, and a love of fine reading, can remain a lifelong passion telling us much about ourselves and life, itself.
Twelve Suggestions for Children on Mindfulness of Books, Mindfulness of Reading
1. Invite the youngster to hold the book and look at it, feel its weight. Ask the child questions about the feel of the book
2. If possible, take the children to explore the wonder of the local public library
3. Share your love of reading
4. Show the children lots of different books, old and new
5. Ask a child to read aloud a page, then ask another child to read a page or a few lines for each child
6. Ask the children to draw a picture of something that stands out in the book or write or share in a few words about the reading.
7. What is the feeling tone if the words are read out quickly.
8. What is the feeling tone if the words are read out slowly?
9. What truth is a story telling us.
10. Can the children develop together a story that could become a book?
11. Why do we often like to go back to a book we have already read.
12. Lots of people like reading in bed. Why is that?