Inculcating Reading Habits To Improve The Academic Performance

Each period of history is defined by the tools invented in it and the way in which they were used.

The still recent transition into a new century is a good time to define how learning, and the learner, has changed. The wonder that is the internet has expanded access to information, removing the teacher and student’s dependency on limited sources of information. Education is no longer bound by the limits of the teacher, textbook, or reference books in the school library. It is limited only by the student’s interest and ability to read proficiently.

Therefore, in the new millennium, parents, teachers, and would-be– teachers have a vital duty to thoroughly teach the art of reading — the fundamental skill which is the passport to all learning. The ability to read proficiently will ease children’s entry into the world of self-learning that is emerging with advances in technology in the new information age. Moreover, the ability to read quickly with understanding is an invaluable skill, which once mastered can be a source of great enjoyment and continuous learning into adulthood.

The rote ‘skills and drills’ type of teaching and learning environment persisting in most schools needs to go. Hence, it may be useful to discuss some strategies that parents and teachers can adopt to develop reading proficiency in young children just entering the world of the printed word. An intelligent reading induction program should be tailored to suit the individual learning needs and pace of each child. What parents and teachers should provide is a sequence of learning and reading opportunities.