Reading Tips

VIP Reading Tips

People talk a lot about IQ (Intelligence Quotient), EQ (Emotional Quotient) and AQ (Adaptability Quotient).  Some are also talking about CQ (Curiosity Quotient) and SQ (Spiritual Quotient).  All of these are often important for leading and living a successful life.  However, without being a person of good character and conscience, which includes being compassionate and respectful to self and others, none of these quotients would mean much.  Many say that good character and conscience are essential components of our identity.  In fact, when we are people of good character and conscience, these quotients along with our self-identity and esteem – would be raised to even higher levels, and so would our level of happiness in life.

We are our children’s role models.  When we act and behave morally, our children learn to act and behave morally.  We would like them to be self-respectful and humbly confident.  What we teach them and show them when they are young will form the foundation from which they develop.  If we teach and love them right as they are growing up, they are more able to make good choices and steer away from bad choices down the road.  

Our words and actions exhibit whether we are of good character and conscience.  When we learn to understand what love means by being loved, we will definitely know more about how to share love.  When we do good deeds and feel good about ourselves, we will definitely feel happier.  Together, we would make this world a better place, filled with love and joy.

Therefore, through reading each book, we would like to teach and share “VIP Love Codes” – attitudes, manners, traits and virtues, which would hopefully help our children to become people of good character and conscience.  It is our ultimate common goal that they make the right life choices and decisions for themselves as they grow towards independence.

Basic Suggestions:

1. Adult readers guiding children to read should always first read the book themselves for better preparation. By doing so, you would have a first-hand feeling of how you would like to use the book and read the book with the child, as well as preparing yourself for the questions, values and beliefs which you would like to teach and share or which may come up during reading.
2. When you are with the child, begin with focusing on the book cover. Point to things (words or illustrations) which may start a nice conversation about the book. This conversation may provide you with:
   • An impression of what the child understands about our world;
   • Some ideas of how the child can relate to the book title;
   • What the child is thinking about and feeling at the time;
   • Important questions, topics and/or events that would otherwise not have been known to you from the child, if it wasn’t for this opportunity to read together.
3. Briefly introduce the content of the book before you and the child journey through the book together.

Each book will focus on two “VIP Love Codes”.  Please feel free to take reference from the full “VIP Love Codes” list to teach and share.