Are you trying to develop a greater love of reading in your child? Here are 8 Great Tips To Help Your Child Develop A Greater Love Of Reading
8 Great Tips To Help Your Child Develop A Greater Love Of Reading
Brian Tracy famously said, “Reading is to the mind, as exercise is to the body”. As a parent, encouraging your kids to develop a genuine love of reading is one of the greatest life lessons that you can teach. After all, it is the foundation for learning and comprehension of all subjects. It also helps to develop stronger imaginations. In short, it is a skill that will serve your little angel well throughout their entire life.
Your child’s school teachers will work heavily on helping your child develop their reading skills. Nevertheless, all parents should play a proactive role in getting kids to develop a love of reading. Not least because the process starts even before they start school. Here’s how you can help your child acquire the desired passion.
#1. Read to your child
Young children love nothing more than spending time with their parents. Reading to them is an activity that can strengthen the bond and become a part of your daily routine. Better still, you can begin to do this even before they begin to talk. And you can continue to do it for many years to come.
Reading stories to your child before bed can help them settle down for sleep. Meanwhile, many children’s books also teach valuable lessons that can help shape a child’s understanding of the world. So, the benefits transcend reading comprehension to actively support your child’s upbringing.
The memories of reading to your child, before bed or during the day, are something you’ll miss as you get older. By establishing that mental link between reading and time spent with you, it will become an amazing part of your child’s life too.
#2. Use modern tech to your advantage
While many parenting guides will tell you that modern tech is the enemy, it isn’t. For starters, children need to develop tech literacy to survive in the modern world. Moreover, when tech devices are effectively used, they’ll help your child develop their reading and academic skills. It turns to learn into an enjoyable and engaging activity.
This guide to furthering your child’s education through tech will provide valuable insight. However, you can even look to play video games where your child has to read text during cutscenes or throughout the game. Ultimately, it means that kids will read through choices rather than chores.
Of course, there are plenty of child-friendly eBook readers on the market. They can read the book aloud to your child while they follow the text. Frankly, this is a feature that they can use throughout childhood and into their teen years.
#3. Celebrate the characters that they love
Almost all kids are introduced to reading through fun fiction. A love of those characters is what will make kids return to reading. The main reason is that they are able to lose themselves in the magical tales. They may include princesses, superheroes, wizards, talking animals, and more.
However, celebrating your child’s imagination shouldn’t be limited to the pages of those books. The best book week costumes will transform your child into their favorite character. This encourages imaginative play and enables your child to take pride in their love of reading with their school friends. The costumes can be worn time and time again too.
Other ways to celebrate your child’s love of a character include getting wall stickers for their room or finding action figures based on them. By blending the heroes from their favorite books with a real-world environment, success will follow.
#4. Incorporate writing
Reading is a wonderful skill. Still, it is undoubtedly at its best when accompanied by writing skills. Therefore, you should always try to encourage your child to write too. As they approach their pre-teen years, this could mean writing stories. Again, this is an opportunity to embrace their favorite characters. Their stories are essentially fan fiction.
However, the combination of reading and writing can be encouraged from an early age. Wipe-clean writing exercise books are a particularly good option. From early phonics to maths, there are books for children of varying ages. They tie in very well with early school lessons, which can help them in the classroom.
All reading and writing activities have a positive impact. So, you can also choose magazines or toys like etch a sketch. Or you can even get your child to record their score when bowling or enjoying other activities.
#5. Find books on the things they love
When reading at school, children may be forced to select from a small range of titles. This is an important part of their educational development for many reasons. It teaches discipline, introduces them to multiple genres, and helps them grow their reading skills at various levels. At home, though, they should read about things they love.
One option is to select books based on their favorite TV show or movie. However, you may also want to focus on guides and tutorials. Whether it helps them develop their soccer skills, learn to play an instrument, or become more artistic doesn’t matter. When reading allows them to become better at something they love, they’ll see the value of reading.
Alternatively, they could read biographies about their favorite singer or celebrity. Most of the big names that appeal to children will have kid-friendly books written about them. This is when a child begins to get lost in the world of reading.
#6. Embrace the library
Millions of children simply do not have access to books. As a parent, there is no excuse not to introduce your child to books via the local library. Most have dedicated areas for children. As well as thousands of titles, there will be dedicated reading areas while many have guest readers from time to time. Best of all, using the library is free.
The library isn’t only a resource for books. Parents can turn a trip to the library into an exciting day out for youngsters. Reading a book at the library before taking out a book or three to take home can work wonders. If you build it up to feel exciting, it sprinkles an extra layer of magic on the concept of reading.
Once your child sees the ‘wow factor’ surrounding books, they won’t lose it. And as your child grows a little older, libraries offer the chance to test new waters. From stepping up to more complex books to trying a new genre, it is a risk-free solution.
#7. Create a better reading environment at home
The library is a great place to find a plethora of books and enjoy community events. Still, if you want your child to truly develop a love of learning, they’ll need to read at home. We are all influenced by our surroundings in many aspects of our lives. If your property isn’t blessed with a great place to read, your child will be less likely to read.
A great setting for reading should be comfortable and free from distraction. If your child has a high cabin sleeper bed, the space under the bed can be turned into a great reading nook. Add a lamp, cushioned seating, and blankets to get the complete look. It’ll provide comfort and privacy to support their reading habits.
Alternatively, you could create a reading nook in the conservatory, hallway, or dining room. Meanwhile, a home library or bookshelves can work wonders. When books are on display, kids are more likely to pick them up.
#8. Lead By Example
Finally, kids learn so much from their parents. If you want your child to see the benefits of reading, you should make a conscious effort to read more too. From biographies to fiction, rediscovering your love of books is an amazing thing. It will enhance your world while also inspiring your little bookworm.
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