At a time when devices are landing in the hands of children at increasingly younger ages, it can be a challenge to find ways to encourage your child to read a book. Science has found substantial benefits to reading print books versus electronic materials, leading to a critical need to instill a love of book reading in children.
There is no doubt that devices are appealing to children, so steering them away from the allure of the blue screen and into the words on a page takes planning and consistency. However, the journey can turn into a fun one for the entire family.
Provide Books on Favorite Topics
Providing your child with books about their favorite topics is one of the first steps to encouraging him or her to read. While a parent might want more than anything for their children to read books that will teach them important lessons or skills, if they don’t enjoy the story, they may develop a negative association with reading.
One clever and creative way to entice a child into the pages of a book is to find personalized books for boys or girls. The child then becomes the star of his or her own story!
Read to Your Child Daily
Read to your child every day. Begin this practice at an early age and continue well after she or he learns to read independently. As soon as they can read, children can then begin sharing in reading aloud with their parents. In addition to improving reading abilities and fostering a love of books, reading to your children has significant benefits for them and for your relationship with them. If you have older children, encourage them to read to the younger ones, though not as a replacement for your time.
Set Aside Family Reading Time
Children model the behaviors of parents and older siblings. One fantastic way to set a good example, while also creating a family tradition, is to set aside regular family reading time. Put away devices and pull out the books. Read together as a family, not just at the same time, but in the same room.
If your children are young, start small, with just a few minutes a day, and build over time as attention spans and reading skills increase. Not only will this set up the conditions to develop good reading habits in your children, but you will also ensure you set aside time for your own reading pleasure!
Reading is great for the imagination and for developing a love of learning, among a number of other benefits. Taking a proactive approach to encouraging your children to read will have long lasting positive impacts.
