Instilling a love for reading in children is one of the most valuable gifts a parent or educator can offer. Reading not only helps a child with their academic skills, but it also helps a child with imagination, vocabulary, and empathy. But it’s not easy to develop reading habits in children, especially in a world filled with distractions. Here are seven ways to help children fall in love with reading for life.
1. Create a Reading-Friendly Environment
Having a reading-friendly environment is so important to getting children to pick up a book. You can make reading a cozy, nice experience by setting up a nice reading nook with comfortable seating and good lighting, amongst other things. Fill this space with age-appropriate books and make them easy to access. If children see that reading is important in their environment, they are more likely to read.
One way to improve on this is to have a variety of books useful to different interests. Make the books visually appealing with colorful illustrations and interesting storylines that would actually catch a child’s attention. Occasionally rotating books to introduce new material can keep the space nice and new and exciting and can keep the children looking forward to reading more stories.
2. Be a Reading Role Model
We often parent children by modeling behavior that we want them to copy, so being a reading role model is crucial. Children learn that reading is something fun to do when they see parents, teachers or caregivers reading. Make time in your day to read your own books, newspapers or magazines. Doing this makes children understand that reading is not a course that comes to an end, but it is a simple habit for everyone.
In addition to modeling the behavior, share your reading experiences with children. If you are reading books, talk about them, if you have met interesting characters, talk about them, if you have learned something, talk about it. This type of engagement tells children that reading is something to talk about, and can encourage them to look for books on their own.
3. Utilize Technology to Promote Reading
The right use of technology can be a very powerful tool in delivering reading habits. With the help of digital platforms reading is made more convenient and interactive for children and they are offered with a wide range of e-books and audiobooks. There are tools available like Literator’s app, offering customized reading experiences and tracking reading progress enabling children to read at their own pace. Such tools can be used by parents and educators to make reading an enjoyable and engaging experience for children.
In addition to this, combining educational games and interactive stories that are downloadable from tablets and phones makes reading an exciting and fun activity for most technology-savvy kids. The features on these platforms are often animations and audio that bring stories to life. Using technology well, parents can use screen time as a chance to help kids learn to read, mixing entertainment with education.
4. Set Up a Consistent Reading Routine
It is important for the children to develop a routine of reading. Set aside a time period of the day to read, for instance, before bedtime or while you’re engaged in a quiet afternoon. If children recognize that reading is a regular feature of their daily schedule, it becomes an ordinary and accepted thing to do. This routine becomes a habit over time and children start to wait for that quiet dedicated reading time.
However, involving family time into the reading habit will also enhance this habit. A family reading hour where everyone turns to their own books to read can bring people together. The reading becomes something they do together as a family … it shows that reading is a shared activity, that it can be enjoyed by all of the family, and reading is more likely to be associated with comfort and connection.
5. Offer a Variety of Reading Materials
It’s important to be able to offer a wide range of reading materials because children will only stay engaged if they are interested in what they are reading. Not all books are going to appeal to every child, and children have a range of interests. It includes fiction, non-fiction, comics, magazines, and even graphic novels, so there’s something for everyone. It has children perusing through different types of writings, different types of genres which makes them widen their horizons and also it makes children love reading.
Also, it’s important to offer books that are at the child’s reading level. Children may become frustrated and lose interest if books are too hard to read, and may get distracted if books are too easy. A balanced selection of materials that get harder and harder, but gradually, will build confidence and skill and keep children motivated to keep exploring new stories.
6. Encourage Participation in Reading-Related Activities
Activities that involve children in reading can really help kids think about books differently. One such activity is organizing or participating in book clubs for children. Children in these clubs read and talk about books, express themselves, and share their favorite with and other children. If reading turns into a social activity, children are more inclined to appreciate it.
You can also visit libraries, or attend storytelling events. There is a vast variety of books in libraries and the children have the opportunity to enjoy the novel of different genres and authors. Storytelling sessions, sometimes animated and interactive, also grab kids’ imaginations and encourage them to go further into stories themselves.
7. Reward and Celebrate Reading Milestones
It is possible to reward children for their reading achievements and build and reinforce reading habits. With small incentives (whether money or something else) for children to finish books or to meet other reading goals, you can build a reward system for them. It could be the stickers on a reading chart, extra playtime or picking out a new book as a prize. Reading can be turned into a fun and goal-oriented activity by rewards.
It’s also a great way to keep children excited about reading, and celebrating reading milestones. Have a mini celebration when a child finishes a hard book or meets a reading goal. The outing could be so special as to involve going out, or it could be a movie night, or maybe you’re even going to have a small family party based on the book’s theme.