Learning to read is a significant and exciting time in a child’s life. Not only is it a major milestone, but it also signifies a furthering in their ability to interact with the world. After all, a great deal of the information people are likely to come into contact with throughout their life is presented in writing.
While this is true, it is also true that many children are often less than keen to practice their reading skills, and getting them to do so can be a challenge at times.
Throughout the rest of this article, we will discuss ways parents can motivate their children to read, whether they are just starting out or already know-how.
Keep Books Around The Home
Having books around the house, especially from a young age, will help children build an attachment to books and see them as a regular part of day-to-day life. For many children, just growing up in a book-filled house can help motivate them to read when they are older.
Read With Children From A Young Age
The best way to instill a love for reading is by doing it early and often with one’s children. Even if the child can’t read yet, picking easy-to-follow children’s books with detailed pictures is an excellent way to start. As they get older, parents can spend 15 – 20 minutes each night reading a section of a longer novel before they go to bed. Doing this helps maintain an interest in reading and can even push them to start reading independently.
Choose Books The Child Is Interested In
Most kids are introduced to reading through school, where they are required to read specific titles they may find boring or have no interest in. While some books are must-reads, regardless of whether the child enjoys it or not, there is also a time and place for allowing the child to pick books they find interesting.
A great way to help children stay motivated and interested in reading is by helping them find a series that they like. By doing this, a child may build an attachment to a storyline and characters and will be motivated to read the next installment in the series.
Watch The Movie After The Book
Picking books that have feature film versions of them is another good way to keep kids interested. Many parents have had success getting their kids to read the then watch the movie version together. Not only is this enjoyable, but it can also help young people see how much more a writer can fit into a book than an hour and a half movie; they may see that large portions of the story have been left out and will gain a new appreciation for books.
Buy An E-Reader Device
Over the last two decades, e-reading devices have become very popular. These handheld devices allow users to download and read ebooks and have the added convenience of being low weight and highly portable. While it is true, most books are easy to carry around, some are large and thick and may prove cumbersome to carry from one place to the next. Furthermore, ebooks allow users to switch effortlessly between different tiles, which can be very handy when they are on the go.
Buy Magazines
Sometimes kids don’t want to pick up a novel but would be happy to read a magazine based on a topic of interest for them. These days, magazine subscriptions are relatively inexpensive, and many large bookstores now have a large magazine section.
Discuss Book With Your Child
One of the best ways to keep kids interested in reading is by asking them their thoughts and feelings on whatever they have read. This doesn’t have to be done in a formal setting, it can be done as dinner time conversation or spoken about in the car while driving somewhere. The more kids have the chance to express themselves about something, the more they will be interested in the topic. Furthermore, it will also help them develop critical thinking and analysis skills, which is very helpful in life.
Author’s Bio
Lauren Groff is an educator at Lia Help and Big Assignments. Over the years, she has authored several articles on parenting and child-raising topics. Aside from this, Lauren is also a manager at PaperFellows writing service.