Creating a nurturing environment throughout the year fosters your child's love of learning. The magic of consistent reading goes beyond turning kids into bookworms (those who read for pleasure five days a week or more). It boosts their social-emotional well-being, vocabulary, and language skills. Plus, it encourages them to explore and discuss the world around them.
Since 2010, the Scholastic Kids & Family Reading Report has monitored reading frequency in children aged 6-17. While the number of kids reading 1-4 days a week has held steady, there's a concerning decline in daily readers and a slight increase in those who rarely read. This trend becomes particularly worrisome after age 9, when reading frequency drops significantly.
However, this isn't all bad news. It presents a powerful opportunity and a chance to cultivate a love of reading in our children by establishing strong reading habits. Especially in today's world, where educators and parents are working together to accelerate learning throughout childhood, effective strategies for building reading routines are crucial. Let's explore some ways to encourage our children to pick up a book and get lost in the magic of reading.
Here are 10 tips to create a foundation for your child to become an enthusiastic reader.
1) Start Young
Many parents struggle to get their kids interested in reading. Between screens and outdoor play, books often lose the competition. But the key lies in early introduction and creating a joyful experience.
Start young with colorful picture books and engaging stories. Let your child choose some too, catering to their interests. When you as a parent will focus on sparking curiosity and imagination, they will soon catch up with the reading fever.
2) Create a Special Place to Read
Reading allows children to explore and escape, and their reading environment should reflect that. Create a corner for them to read, decorate it together to make it their own, and most importantly, make it comfy with pillows and blankets. This inviting space will be a magnet, drawing them back to books again and again.
3) Gamify Reading
Transform learning to read into a stress-free and enjoyable experience for children. With The Fidget Game's lineup of interactive games, not only do children acquire essential reading skills, but they also associate learning with fun rather than stress and frustration. By infusing play into the process, children naturally embrace reading as an exciting adventure, free from the pressures of traditional methods.
4) Visit Your Local Library
We all love those fun-filled outdoor trips with our kids. Combine that fun with a love of reading. Take them on a special trip to your local library or the one at their school. Explain how borrowing books works – it's like a free treasure hunt for stories!
Kids are naturally drawn to new experiences. Library visits will make reading exciting because they'll get to explore shelves overflowing with books on every topic imaginable. Get them their own library card and watch their eyes light up as they discover the magic waiting for them within the library walls.
5) Show, Don't Tell
For young or reluctant readers, seeing is believing. That's why modeling good reading behavior is so powerful. Turn off the TV, put down your phone, and curl up with a book yourself. Let your child see that reading can be a source of enjoyment, relaxation, and fun. Their curiosity will be sparked, and they'll be more likely to want to join you on your reading adventures.
6) Let Them Choose
Make your library trip an adventure by giving your child ample time to wander and explore the stacks. When kids choose their own books, they're more invested in reading them. To make browsing easier, suggest a section based on their interests or age group. Their excitement will show as they hold a book they genuinely picked out, ready to dive into its pages.
7) Make Everyday moments a reading opportunity
You can turn everyday moments into mini quests for your child. Instead of just reading, you can make it an exciting treasure hunt for words hidden in plain sight. Look around you-are there messages on traffic signs waiting to be deciphered? Can you crack the code of the grocery list to find the secret ingredients for tonight's dinner? Maybe a delicious recipe hides clues for the next culinary adventure. With a little imagination, everyday tasks become word puzzles waiting to be solved.
8) Write Reviews to Strengthen Memory
Reading is awesome, but remembering everything can be tricky. After finishing a book together, you and your mini bookworm can create a review that's all their own. It can be a comic strip, a list of favorite moments, or even a cool movie poster. This drill lets them process the story in a fun way, while also strengthening their memory and communication skills.
9) Set Goals
Just like a video game, you can level up your reading skills by setting mini goals. Do you want to read a certain number of books this month? Maybe you'd like to explore a new genre? Setting goals and achieving them will make you a reading superstar in no time, and it's a super way to boost your reading power and feel like a champion. Setting goals makes reading more engaging and builds a sense of accomplishment. That's like winning a trophy for your brain, and those smarts will stick with you forever.
10) Read with Friends
Reading time is even more fun with friends. Turn it into a social adventure with a book club just for you and your besties. Pick the same book and read it together. As you journey through the story, discuss the characters, plot twists, and anything else that sparks your imagination. This is a great way to make reading more engaging, and you get to bond with your friends over a shared love of stories.
The more your child enjoys what they're reading, the more they'll want to dive into new stories. Think of it like having a favorite flavor of ice cream, you just keep coming back for more. When kids connect with characters, their adventures, and their emotions, the story comes alive. This connection fuels their desire to read more and unlock even more amazing tales. So, the next time you choose a book together, make sure it ignites their imagination and makes them smile. After all, reading should be a joyful adventure.
You can also check our Reading game which is an amazing multisensory resource to make reading a fun experience.
