Learning to read is an exciting activity for a young child, and
it promotes future academic success by stimulating brain growth in key areas
such as word recognition, pronunciation, and concentration. A busy family life
can make reading time hard to squeeze in, though, and many children lose their
enthusiasm for reading when they start school and no longer see it as a fun
activity. There are many tried-and-true ways to keep books interesting to your
kids, so experiment with a few of these and see how easy this healthy habit can
be to develop in your household.
Ten Ways to Keep Them
Reading
Reading can be fun at any time of the day. You could try
reading to your child as the day starts, instead of when it is time for bed.
Many children are more alert and attentive at the beginning of the day and
might find this a better time to explore a book.
Kids love to imitate adults and are always noticing and
modeling your behavior, even when you don’t know it. You should be reading
books, too, and do it in an area of the house where your kids can watch you.
Reading should never be associated with anything unpleasant,
or children will be conditioned to avoid it, so don’t make them sit in a corner
and read if they have been misbehaving.
Family outings to the library can be a great way to bond
with your kids and will help them develop the reading habit. Plus, they will be
exposed to a wide variety of books, and the special programs at the library
will make reading more entertaining.
Giving books as gifts will accentuate the importance of
reading and also make a book seem like a valuable and interesting possession.
Try reading a book at the same time your child reads it so
you can talk about it and even read parts aloud to each other. You will
discover many ideas and imaginings together while doing this.
Join a book club to share your favorite books with others and
their children and learn about new ones from them. Discussing what you like
about books will deepen the experience and enhance social skills of adults and
children alike.
Children love rewards, so if they read a whole book, do
something special for them; maybe go out to their favorite restaurant or give
them a little gift like some bookmarks with their favorite characters on them.
Reading doesn’t need to be passive. Encourage kids to craft
their own stories and then read these original compositions to each other.
Holidays are great opportunities to incorporate reading.
Develop a tradition of reading special books during those times.
Personalize the
Reading Experience
Reading with your child or having children read to one
another builds interpersonal connections that enhance social skills and make
the reading experience richer and more engaging. Today’s digital media makes
this easier than ever, since you can order books to beprinted that have your child’s personal stories, people, and experiences tailored
into the story. Check online to find fun ways to do this, and reading will
become your child’s new avenue to self-expression.
Fantastic advice, especially about avoiding the unconscious association of reading = punishment. Reading is education is everything.
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