How Can Sustained Silent Reading Benefit a Bilingual Learner?

Parents often exhibit misplaced apprehensions about silent reading. Contrary to common belief, silent reading, especially sustained silent reading (SSR), can greatly benefit language learners – even bilingual learners. You may buy the best books for your kindergarten-going children who are dabbling in two or more languages, but if they do not engage in some amount of SSR, they will not be able to reap all the benefits of the content in the book. SSR is nothing but simply devoting a specific amount of time every day to quiet, independent reading. Today, many language teachers incorporate this approach in their teaching methods.

Here are some of the benefits of SSR for bilingual learners:

1. Provides better understanding
When reading silently, the reader gets a better understanding of their study material. This happens because now they are not distracted by the need for the right pronunciation and can instead focus solely on the meaning of the text. It allows them to absorb the text more productively.

2. Improves writing skills
Reading affects writing. When your child reads silently, he or she can observe a range of writing styles, sentence structures, and other aspects of the text, in both languages, which then go on to influence their writing style. With an increased concentration on the words, they are also able to improve spelling and grammar.

3. Enhances vocabulary
Silent reading allows your child to learn and understand the meanings of new words. They can discover the definitions of certain terms without being forced with some kind of instruction. This allows them to retain what they learn, improving their vocabulary in the process.

If you want your child’s bilingual skills to develop at a faster and more efficient rate, get them to dedicate at least half an hour every day to silent reading. Its benefits are, as mentioned, manifold.

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